Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

त्रयोदश्यां ततो गच्छेद्गुहावासिनि लिङ्गके । दृष्ट्वा मार्कण्डमीशानं मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Transliteration

trayodaśyāṃ tato gacchedguhāvāsini liṅgake | dṛṣṭvā mārkaṇḍamīśānaṃ mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ

Translation

Dann, am trayodaśī, dem dreizehnten Mondtag, soll man zum Liṅga gehen, das in der Höhle weilt. Wer den Herrn Īśāna als Mārkaṇḍa (Mārkaṇḍeśvara) schaut, wird von allen Sünden befreit.

Word by Word

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth (lunar day)
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थ — Indeclinable adverb “then/thereafter”

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Singular

• गुहावासिनि: in the cave-dwelling (one)
• गुहावासिनि: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: गुहायां वासी); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular (agreeing with लिङ्गके)

• लिङ्गके: at the small liṅga (shrine)
• लिङ्गके: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्गक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (पूर्वकालक्रिया) — Gerund (absolutive), “having seen”

• मार्कण्डम्: Mārkaṇḍa (name)
• मार्कण्डम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular (apposition to मार्कण्डम्)

• मुच्यते: is released
• मुच्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular; Passive voice

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (stem in compound) — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural (as compound member)

• पातकैः: from sins
• पातकैः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual instruction within Revākhaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guhāvāsinī Liṅga (Mārkaṇḍeśvara/Īśāna)

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rocky cave mouth opens to a sanctum where a self-manifest liṅga stands; pilgrims with lamps approach on trayodaśī nightfall; the liṅga is revered as Mārkaṇḍeśvara—Īśāna’s compassionate presence—promising liberation from sins.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna
• Mārkaṇḍeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and darśana of Śiva at a sanctified shrine, timed with sacred tithi, is taught as a powerful purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A cave-residing liṅga identified with Mārkaṇḍeśvara within the Revākhaṇḍa sacred circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Going on trayodaśī to the cave-liṅga for darśana of Mārkaṇḍeśvara/Īśāna.