Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल एरण्डीतीर्थमुत्तमम् । स्नानमात्रेण तत्रैव ब्रह्महत्या प्रणश्यति

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahīpāla eraṇḍītīrthamuttamam | snānamātreṇa tatraiva brahmahatyā praṇaśyati

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Dann, o König, soll man zur höchst vortrefflichen Eraṇḍī-Tīrtha gehen; durch das bloße Bad dort wird die Sünde des Brahmanenmordes vernichtet.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधन-पूर्वक वक्ता-निर्देशः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनन्तरार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महीपाल: O king
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; ‘मही’+‘पाल’ (भूमेः पालकः)

• एरण्डीतीर्थम्: to the Eraṇḍī sacred ford
• एरण्डीतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एरण्डी-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; स्थान-नाम

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम् इति)

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘स्नानस्य मात्रया’ (केवल-स्नानेन)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (there)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/निश्चयार्थक (indeed/just)

• ब्रह्महत्या: the sin of brahmin-slaying
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; पाप-विशेषः

• प्रणश्यति: is destroyed/perishes
• प्रणश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Eraṇḍī Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly pilgrim approaches a serene riverbank tīrtha; sages indicate the snāna-spot; the river glows with sanctity as the bather enters, symbolizing the washing away of brahmahatyā.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Eraṇḍī Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are presented as living sources of purification; sincere tīrtha-snāna can remove even the gravest sin through divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Eraṇḍī Tīrtha, praised as ‘uttama’ and uniquely purifying through bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage to Eraṇḍī Tīrtha and bathing (snāna), stated as sufficient for expiation.