Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra tīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle sarvapāpapraṇāśanam

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya dit : Ensuite, ô seigneur des rois, il faut se rendre à un tīrtha d'une beauté suprême sur la rive sud de la Narmadā, destructeur de tous les péchés.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

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

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

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

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• परमशोभनम्: supremely beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) of तीर्थम्

• नर्मदायाḥ: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of कूले

• कूले: bank (shore)
• कूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + प्रणाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of तीर्थम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra / Pārtha (king/prince addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs a king to proceed to a radiant tīrtha on the southern bank of the Narmadā; the river gleams, pilgrims approach with offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames pilgrimage as a dharmic journey: moving from one sanctified site to another for purification and inner renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha on the Narmadā’s southern bank, introduced as the next destination—contextually Siddheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is pilgrimage itself: “one should go” to the tīrtha (gamanavidhi).