Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । यदा तु शूलशुद्ध्यर्थं रुद्रो देवगणैः सह । बभ्राम पृथिवीं सर्वां कमण्डलुधरः शुभाम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | yadā tu śūlaśuddhyarthaṃ rudro devagaṇaiḥ saha | babhrāma pṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ kamaṇḍaludharaḥ śubhām

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Einst, zur Reinigung seines Dreizacks, wanderte Rudra—den heiligen Kamaṇḍalu tragend und von Scharen der Götter begleitet—über die ganze glückverheißende Erde.“

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); कर्मधारयः: श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (temporal conjunction ‘when’)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• शूलशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purpose of purifying the trident
• शूलशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल + शुद्धि + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.) प्रयोजनार्थे; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: शूलस्य शुद्धिः तस्य अर्थः (‘for the purpose of cleansing the trident’)

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• देवगणैः: with the hosts of gods
• देवगणैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देवानां गणाः (‘groups of gods’)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (postposition ‘with’)

• बभ्राम: wandered
• बभ्राम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• सर्वाम्: entire
• सर्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); ‘पृथिवीम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• कमण्डलुधरः: the bearer of the kamaṇḍalu
• कमण्डलुधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमण्डलु + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: कमण्डलुं धरति इति (‘bearer of a water-pot’)

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); ‘पृथिवीम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devakhāta (contextual, not yet named in this verse)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra, carrying a kamaṇḍalu, accompanied by gaṇas and devas, traverses the earth for the purification of his trident—an epic procession across varied landscapes.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Devagaṇa (hosts of gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest deity models sacred discipline—purity and consecration are upheld as cosmic principles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a journey that will culminate in a specific Revākhaṇḍa site (contextually leading toward Devakhāta/related tīrthas).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A theme of ritual purification (śuddhi) is stated, centered on consecrating Śiva’s śūla (trident).