Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । एवं संस्तूयमानस्तु ब्रह्माद्यैर्मुनिपुंगवैः । ब्रह्मलोकगतैस्तत्र संजहार जगत्प्रभुः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | evaṃ saṃstūyamānastu brahmādyairmunipuṃgavaiḥ | brahmalokagataistatra saṃjahāra jagatprabhuḥ

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „So wurde er dort von Brahmā und den erhabensten Weisen, die Brahmaloka erreicht hatten, gepriesen; da zog der Herr des Weltalls jene Erscheinung wieder zurück.“

Word by Word

• śrīmārkaṇḍeyaḥ: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• śrīmārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः (śrīmān mārkaṇḍeyaḥ)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (manner adverb)

• saṃstūyamānaḥ: being praised
• saṃstūyamānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + stu (स्तु धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः (Present passive participle/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक अव्यय (but/indeed)

• brahmādyaiḥ: by Brahmā and others
• brahmādyaiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुषः (brahmā ādiḥ yeṣām)

• munipuṃgavaiḥ: by the foremost sages
• munipuṃgavaiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni + puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (munīnām puṃgavāḥ)

• brahmalokagataiḥ: by those who had gone to Brahmaloka
• brahmalokagataiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahmaloka + gata (गम् धातु-कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (brahmaloke gatāḥ)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• saṃjahāra: withdrew / drew in
• saṃjahāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + hṛ (हृ धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• jagatprabhuḥ: the Lord of the world
• jagatprabhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat + prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jagataḥ prabhuḥ)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a radiant Brahmaloka court, Brahmā and great sages offer hymns; the Lord of the universe, after receiving praise, gently retracts the manifested form into a subtle brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Brahmā
• Sages
• Brahmaloka
• Jagatprabhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine manifestations appear for protection and instruction, and withdraw when their purpose is fulfilled—yet devotion and praise remain the enduring path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily narrative and cosmological; it does not directly glorify a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; stuti (praise) is the implied devotional act.