Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्परं पुण्यं नर्मदादक्षिणे तटे । शक्रतीर्थं सुविख्यातमशेषाघविनाशनम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchetparaṃ puṇyaṃ narmadādakṣiṇe taṭe | śakratīrthaṃ suvikhyātamaśeṣāghavināśanam

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: Then one should go to another supremely holy place on the southern bank of the Narmadā—Śakratīrtha, famed everywhere, the destroyer of all sins.

Word by Word

• श्री-मार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्री-मार्कण्डेयः: कर्ता (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (उपपद/उपसर्गवत्) + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then / from there
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘thereupon/from there’)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: क्रिया (Injunctive/Instruction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• परम्: further / next
• परम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (पुण्यम्/तीर्थम् implied)

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: कर्म (Object: destination implied)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण-प्रयोगः (गन्तव्य-स्थानस्य)

• नर्मदा-दक्षिणे: on the southern (side) of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-दक्षिणे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘नर्मदायाः दक्षिणे (भागे)’

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शक्र-तीर्थम्: Śakra-tīrtha
• शक्र-तीर्थम्: कर्म (Object: place to go)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सु-विख्यातम्: well-known
• सु-विख्यातम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विख्यात (कृदन्त; ख्या धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (well-known)

• अशेष-अघ-विनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• अशेष-अघ-विनाशनम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शक्रतीर्थस्य)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śakratīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (royal interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Markandeya points out a luminous ford on the Narmadā’s southern bank; pilgrims approach with waterpots; a subtle celestial aura suggests Indra’s association; the river appears as a purifying ribbon.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā
• Śakratīrtha
• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to Narmadā tīrthas is presented as a direct purifier, with certain sites famed for comprehensive sin-destruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śakratīrtha, located on the southern bank of the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is pilgrimage itself—‘one should go’ to Śakratīrtha as part of the Revā tīrtha circuit.