Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र विमलेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तत्र देवशिला रम्या स्वयं देवैर्विनिर्मिता

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra vimaleśvaramuttamam | tatra devaśilā ramyā svayaṃ devairvinirmitā

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Dann, o König der Könige, soll man zum erhabenen Heiligtum Vimaleśvaras gehen. Dort ist eine liebliche Deva-śilā, ein göttlicher Stein/Altar, von den Göttern selbst geschaffen.“

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विधि/आदेशार्थ

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः)

• विमलेश्वरम्: Vimaleśvara (the pure Lord)
• विमलेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (विमलः ईश्वरः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (superior/excellent)

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

• देवशिला: the divine rock-slab
• देवशिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (देवानां शिला / देवसम्बन्धिनी शिला)

• रम्या: beautiful
• रम्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (beautiful)

• स्वयम्: by itself / personally
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (by oneself)

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण (instrumental: by the gods)

• विनिर्मिता: was constructed
• विनिर्मिता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निर्-मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘constructed’ (agreeing with देवशिला)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs a king to proceed to Vimaleśvara; the shrine appears on a riverbank with a radiant Deva-śilā, celestial artisans implied in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Vimaleśvara
• Devaśilā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seek purity and merit through pilgrimage to a sanctified Śaiva site established by divine ordinance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vimaleśvara and the associated Devaśilā at that tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct injunction to undertake tīrtha-yātrā—‘one should go’ to Vimaleśvara.