Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । जालेश्वरात्परं तीर्थं न भूतं न भविष्यति । तस्योत्पत्तिं कथयतः शृणु त्वं पाण्डुनन्दन

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | jāleśvarātparaṃ tīrthaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati | tasyotpattiṃ kathayataḥ śṛṇu tvaṃ pāṇḍunandana

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: No tīrtha superior to Jāleśvara has existed, nor will it ever exist. Hear, O son of Pāṇḍu, as I relate its origin.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Markandeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

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

• जालेश्वरात्: from Jāleśvara
• जालेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जालेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• परम्: higher, superior
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• भूतम्: (has) been, existed
• भूतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; भूतकालवाचक-विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of that (tīrtha)
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उत्पत्तिम्: origin, arising
• उत्पत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कथयतः: of (me) who is narrating
• कथयतः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; ‘मे/मम’ इत्यर्थे वक्तुः सम्बन्धः

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पाण्डुनन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु-नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पाण्डोः नन्दनः)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (Pāṇḍava prince)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya, radiant and composed, addresses a Pāṇḍava prince in an āśrama setting, proclaiming Jāleśvara as the supreme tīrtha and inviting attentive listening to its origin.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Jāleśvara
• Pāṇḍunandana (Yudhiṣṭhira)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas exalt certain sites as uniquely potent, and they ground that claim in an origin narrative meant to inspire faith and practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jāleśvara is declared incomparable among tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the forthcoming account of the tīrtha’s origin.