Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । सिद्धेश्वरं ततो गच्छेत्तस्यैव तु समीपतः । अमृतस्रावि तल्लिङ्गमाद्यं स्वायम्भुवं तथा

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | siddheśvaraṃ tato gacchettasyaiva tu samīpataḥ | amṛtasrāvi talliṅgamādyaṃ svāyambhuvaṃ tathā

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: Then one should go to Siddheśvara; and close by it is that liṅga, flowing with amṛta—primeval and also self-manifest (svayambhū).

Word by Word

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

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

• सिद्धेश्वरम्: Siddheśvara (name of Śiva/linga)
• सिद्धेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

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

• तस्य: of that (one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/emphasis)

• तु: but; and
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (concessive/contrast particle)

• समीपतः: nearby; in the vicinity
• समीपतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीपतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• अमृतस्रावि: nectar-oozing
• अमृतस्रावि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत-स्राविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of ‘लिङ्गम्’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘लिङ्गम्’)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem of Śiva)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• आद्यम्: primeval; first
• आद्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘लिङ्गम्’)

• स्वायम्भुवम्: self-manifested
• स्वायम्भुवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘लिङ्गम्’)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by v.191.4)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a riverside Śiva shrine labeled Siddheśvara; beside it stands an ancient svayambhū liṅga with a subtle, luminous ‘nectar’ seep, attended by priests with waterpots and bilva leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Siddheśvara
• Liṅga
• Svayambhū
• Amṛta (nectar)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a progression toward increasingly potent Śaiva sanctuaries, where the svayambhū-liṅga embodies primordial divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddheśvara and a nearby amṛtasrāvi (nectar-flowing) svayambhū liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive of pilgrimage: ‘one should go’ (gacchet) to Siddheśvara and approach the nearby svayambhū liṅga.