Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । एतत्सर्वं समास्थाय नृत्यं शम्भुश्चकार वै

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | etatsarvaṃ samāsthāya nṛtyaṃ śambhuścakāra vai

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: Having taken all this into account and assuming the divine stance, Śambhu indeed performed the dance.

Word by Word

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

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (एतत् इत्यस्य)

• समास्थाय: having undertaken / having resorted to
• समास्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having undertaken/after resorting to)

• नृत्यम्: dance
• नृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चकार: did / performed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra sanctified by Śambhu-nṛtya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu assumes a divine stance and performs a powerful dance; attendants and the riverine setting witness the cosmic movement.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine līlā—such as Śiva’s dance—serves as the sacred origin for places of power and for the devotee’s awakening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the origin narrative that supports the Vāsukīśa/Narmadā southern bank māhātmya, though the site name is not repeated in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it begins a mythic account (kathā) explaining the sanctity and placement of the shrine.