Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महाराज नागतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । आश्विनस्य सिते पक्षे पञ्चम्यां नियतः शुचिः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahārāja nāgatīrthamanuttamam | āśvinasya site pakṣe pañcamyāṃ niyataḥ śuciḥ

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya dit : Alors, ô grand roi, qu’on se rende au Nāga-tīrtha sans égal ; le cinquième jour de la quinzaine claire d’Āśvina, maîtrisé et pur.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘thereafter/from there’

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

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राजन् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + राजन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नागतीर्थम्: Naga-tirtha (a sacred ford)
• नागतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; नाग + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) of ‘नागतीर्थम्’

• आश्विनस्य: of (the month) Āśvina
• आश्विनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्विन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• सिते: bright (white)
• सिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of ‘पक्षे’

• पक्षे: in the fortnight
• पक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पञ्चम्याम्: on the fifth (lunar day)
• पञ्चम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नियतः: disciplined, restrained
• नियतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तृविशेषण (qualifier of implied agent)

• शुचिः: pure, clean
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तृविशेषण (qualifier of implied agent)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king; name not given in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya instructing a king about setting out to Nāga-tīrtha on Āśvina śukla pañcamī; pilgrims preparing with purity and discipline near the Narmadā.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Nāga-tīrtha
• Āśvina

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is joined with sacred time: purity, discipline, and correct calendrical observance amplify tīrtha merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāga-tīrtha, described as anuttama (unsurpassed) within the Revā-khaṇḍa route.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed visit/observance on Āśvina bright fortnight pañcamī, undertaken with niyama (discipline) and śauca (purity).