Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र पूतिकेश्वरमुत्तमम् । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra pūtikeśvaramuttamam | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaram

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Dann, o Herr der Könige, soll man zum erhabenen Pūtikeśvara gehen, am Südufer der Narmadā — dem Vernichter aller Sünden.

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तु: indeed; and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/emphasis)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; राजा + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पूतिकेश्वरम्: Pūtikeśvara (name of Śiva/linga)
• पूतिकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूतिक-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; पूतिक + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent; supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पूतिकेश्वरम्)

• नर्मदायाः: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying कूले)

• कूले: bank (shore)
• कूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पाप-क्षय-कर (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + पाप + क्षय + कर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पूतिकेश्वरम्)

Speaker

Śrīmārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pūtikeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya instructs a king on a riverbank route; the Narmadā flows broad; a Śiva-liṅga shrine stands on the southern bank with pilgrims approaching.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Pūtikeśvara
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to Śiva-tīrthas on the Narmadā, undertaken with reverence, is proclaimed as a powerful means of pāpa-kṣaya (removal of sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pūtikeśvara, situated on the southern bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The instruction is pilgrimage (gacchet) to the Pūtikeśvara tīrtha; subsequent verses elaborate worship and bathing.