Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र नन्दिकेश्वरमुत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धो महानन्दी तत्ते सर्वं वदाम्यहम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra nandikeśvaramuttamam | yatra siddho mahānandī tatte sarvaṃ vadāmyaham

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Dann, o König der Könige, gehe zum erhabenen Nandikeśvara, wo der große Nandī Vollendung erlangte. Ich will dir alles darlegen.“

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री-उपपद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: ततः-शब्दः; अपादान/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (then/thereafter)

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

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नन्दिकेश्वरम्: Nandikeśvara
• नन्दिकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent / supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘नन्दिकेश्वरम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• सिद्धः: accomplished / perfected
• सिद्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘नन्दी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• महानन्दी: the great Nandī
• महानन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महान् + नन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradana/Sambandha (To you/for you; relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular) (enclitic)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘तत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वदामि: I tell
• वदामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nandikeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a king, gesturing toward a distant Śaiva shrine named Nandikeśvara; the setting suggests a riverine pilgrimage landscape with attendants and travel gear.

Characters & Entities

• Nandikeśvara
• Nandī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva tīrthas are celebrated as living landscapes of attainment: the sanctity of place is authenticated by exemplary devotees like Nandī who realize siddhi there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nandikeśvara, a supreme Śaiva sacred site in the Revākhaṇḍa sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to visit (gacchet) Nandikeśvara; detailed observances are implied to be explained next.