Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र आनन्देश्वरमुत्तमम् । तत्तीर्थं कथयिष्यामि सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra ānandeśvaramuttamam | tattīrthaṃ kathayiṣyāmi sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaram

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: Then, O lord of kings, one should go to the excellent Ānandeśvara. I shall describe that sacred tīrtha, which brings about the destruction of all sins.

Word by Word

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

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

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

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

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; राजा + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• आनन्देश्वरम्: Ānandeśvara (Lord of Bliss)
• आनन्देश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; आनन्द + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: supreme; excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) आनन्देश्वरम्-शब्दस्य

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) तीर्थम्-शब्दस्य

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

• कथयिष्यामि: I will describe
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिजन्त causative of कथ्)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), 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: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) तीर्थम्-शब्दस्य

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira on proceeding to the ‘excellent Ānandeśvara’ tīrtha; a riverine landscape suggests Revā/Narmadā, with a Śiva shrine near the bank and pilgrims preparing for darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Ānandeśvara
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a sanctified Śaiva site is presented as a dharmic means for inner purification and the removal of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandeśvara Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to go (yātrā) to Ānandeśvara; further rites are implied to be described subsequently.