Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । अत्रैवोदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । कैलासे पृच्छते भक्त्या षण्मुखाय शिवोदितम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | atraivodāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | kailāse pṛcchate bhaktyā ṣaṇmukhāya śivoditam

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Hier selbst will ich eine uralte heilige Überlieferung darlegen, von Śiva verkündet, als man auf dem Kailāsa in Hingabe Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) danach fragte.

Word by Word

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

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• उदाहरन्ति: they cite / they relate
• उदाहरन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इतिहासम्: legend / narrative
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (इतिहासम्)

• कैलासे: on Kailāsa
• कैलासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पृच्छते: asks
• पृच्छते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव (by/with devotion)

• षण्मुखाय: to Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced Skanda)
• षण्मुखाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (षण् मुखानि यस्य सः)

• शिवोदितम्: uttered by Śiva
• शिवोदितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (उदित = said/uttered); तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवेन उदितम्) विशेषण (इतिहासम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) audience of sages/seekers within Revākhaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya begins narration: a vision of Kailāsa where a devotee questions Ṣaṇmukha; Śiva’s words are about to be recounted.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kailāsa
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is transmitted through devotional inquiry and authoritative narration rooted in Śiva’s teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa is named as the setting; the tīrtha focus for this adhyāya begins via this framing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces an itihāsa (sacred narrative) as a vehicle for dharma teaching.