Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कृष्णस्य पुरतः स्थित्वा मार्कण्डेशस्य वा पुनः । ऋग्यजुःसाममन्त्रांश्च जपेदत्र प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇasya purataḥ sthitvā mārkaṇḍeśasya vā punaḥ | ṛgyajuḥsāmamantrāṃśca japedatra prayatnataḥ

Translation

Se tenant devant Kṛṣṇa —ou encore devant Mārkaṇḍeśa—, qu’ici, avec un effort appliqué, l’on récite les mantras du Ṛg, du Yajus et du Sāma (Védas).

Word by Word

• कृष्णस्य: of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पुरतः: in front (of)
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्थित्वा: having stood
• स्थित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having stood’

• मार्कण्डेशस्य: of Mārkaṇḍeśa
• मार्कण्डेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• पुनः: again; then
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/कालवाचक (adverb ‘again/then’)

• ऋग्यजुःसाममन्त्रान्: the Ṛg-, Yajus-, and Sāma-mantras
• ऋग्यजुःसाममन्त्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक् + यजुः + साम + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (निर्देश्य-निर्देशक: ‘ऋग्-यजुः-साम-सम्बद्धाः मन्त्राः’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction ‘and’)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb ‘here’)

• प्रयत्नतः: diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्नतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (adverb ‘with effort/diligently’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands reverently before a dark-hued Kṛṣṇa icon and, alternatively, before a serene Mārkaṇḍeśa-Śiva shrine; palm-leaf or cloth manuscript in hand; nearby the riverbank with lamps and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Mārkaṇḍeśa (Śiva)
• Ṛgveda
• Yajurveda
• Sāmaveda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a powerful tīrtha, devotion and Vedic recitation together become an intensified spiritual discipline, honoring both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse indicates “here” within the Revā/Narmadā tīrtha context of the chapter, with shrines of Kṛṣṇa and Mārkaṇḍeśa implied.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Standing before Kṛṣṇa or Mārkaṇḍeśa and performing earnest japa of Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāma mantras.