Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । तत्रैव तु भवेदन्यदादित्यस्य महात्मनः । कीर्तयामि नरश्रेष्ठ यदि ते श्रवणे मतिः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tatraiva tu bhavedanyadādityasya mahātmanaḥ | kīrtayāmi naraśreṣṭha yadi te śravaṇe matiḥ

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Ebendort gibt es noch eine andere heilige Begebenheit über den großherzigen Āditya (die Sonne). Ich will sie verkünden, o Bester der Menschen, wenn dein Geist zum Hören geneigt ist.“

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

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

• तु: but; and
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (conjunctive particle)

• भवेत्: may be; would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्यत्: another (matter/thing)
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदित्यस्य: of Āditya (the Sun)
• आदित्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled
• महात्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नकारान्त-प्रातिपदिक

• कीर्तयामि: I shall narrate; I proclaim
• कीर्तयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; कीर्तयति)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरश्रेष्ठ: O best of men
• नरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्रेष्ठो नरः)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conditional conjunction)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• श्रवणे: in hearing; in listening
• श्रवणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• मतिः: inclination; attention
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āditya-related tīrtha in the Revā region (unnamed here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya ṛṣi, seated in an āśrama near the river, announces a new episode: an Āditya-related sacred account in that very region; the royal listener sits respectfully.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Āditya (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening to sacred narratives (māhātmya-śravaṇa) is itself a dharmic act that opens access to deeper teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A new Sun-related sacred account is introduced in the same Revā-region context; the precise tīrtha is expected to be detailed in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (attentive hearing) is implied as the enabling practice for receiving the māhātmya.