Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । आदौ कृतयुगे तात देवदेवो महेश्वरः । तपश्चचार विपुलं गङ्गासागरसंस्थितः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | ādau kṛtayuge tāta devadevo maheśvaraḥ | tapaścacāra vipulaṃ gaṅgāsāgarasaṃsthitaḥ

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya dit : Au commencement, dans le Kṛta Yuga, mon enfant, Maheśvara, le Dieu des dieux, accomplit de vastes austérités en demeurant à Gaṅgā-sāgara.

Word by Word

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

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

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभाव (adverbial locative: in the beginning)

• कृतयुगे: in the Kṛta-yuga
• कृतयुगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत-युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तात: O dear one
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवदेवः: God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Mahā-īśvara (Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• चचार: performed; practiced
• चचार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• विपुलम्: abundant; great
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गङ्गासागरसंस्थितः: situated at Gaṅgā-sāgara
• गङ्गासागरसंस्थितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा-सागर-संस्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु, उपसर्ग सम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृत् (PPP) विशेषण

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-sāgara

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (with the other Pandavas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara in deep meditation at the ocean’s edge where the Gaṅgā meets the sea; matted locks, crescent moon, serene yet immense presence; waves and river currents converge under a dawn sky.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Kṛta Yuga
• Gaṅgā-sāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine austerity (tapas) is portrayed as a cosmic force; Śiva’s discipline becomes the cause behind world-transforming events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-sāgara—the sacred confluence where the Gaṅgā meets the ocean.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse highlights tapas as the spiritual power shaping the narrative.