Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । पुनर्युगान्तं ते चान्यं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु । सूर्यैरादीपिते लोके जङ्गमे स्थावरे पुरा

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | punaryugāntaṃ te cānyaṃ sampravakṣyāmi tacchṛṇu | sūryairādīpite loke jaṅgame sthāvare purā

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Nun will ich dir noch ein anderes Ende eines Yuga verkünden; höre. Einst, als die Welt von Sonnen versengt wurde, litten die beweglichen wie auch die unbeweglichen Wesen.“

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• युगान्तम्: the end of an age
• युगान्तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (युगस्य अन्तः)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; ‘त्वम्’ अर्थे (to you)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction: and)

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘युगान्तम्’)

• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग: सम् + प्र

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तत्’ = that (topic)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सूर्यैः: by suns
• सूर्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आदीपिते: kindled/illuminated
• आदीपिते: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + दीप् (धातु) → आदीपित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘लोके’)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जङ्गमे: among the moving (beings)
• जङ्गमे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘जङ्गम’ = moving beings (collective)

• स्थावरे: among the immobile (beings)
• स्थावरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थावर’ = immobile beings (collective)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (formerly)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya as narrator, seated in austerity, gestures as he describes a world lit by many suns; the sky blazes, animals and trees droop, heat waves distort the horizon—an epic yugānta tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Suns (multiple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time culminates in dissolution; hearing Purāṇic cosmology fosters detachment and reverence for dharma and the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Revā Khaṇḍa setting; this verse begins a cosmological account rather than naming a single spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) is implied—“listen” to the sacred account, a Purāṇic dharmic practice.