Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । नारायणोऽथ भगवाञ्छङ्खचक्रगदाभृतम् । तया तथोक्तस्तद्रूपं मुक्त्वा वै सुरपूजितम्

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | nārāyaṇo'tha bhagavāñchaṅkhacakragadābhṛtam | tayā tathoktastadrūpaṃ muktvā vai surapūjitam

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya dit : «Alors le Bienheureux Nārāyaṇa—porteur de la conque, du disque et de la massue—ainsi interpellé par elle, délaissa cette forme vénérée par les dieux.»

Word by Word

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse/प्रस्ताव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनन्तरार्थक/प्रस्तावार्थक (then/now)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-bhṛtam: bearing conch, discus, and mace
• śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-bhṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaṅkha (प्रातिपदिक) + cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः—‘शङ्खचक्रगदाः बिभर्ति’ इति; विशेषणम् (tadrūpam)

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तया’ = तेन (by her)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारार्थक (thus/so)

• uktaḥ: addressed, spoken to
• uktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘नारायणः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (having been addressed)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशः

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• muktvā: having left, abandoning
• muktvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund); ‘मुक्त्वा’ = त्यक्त्वा (having abandoned)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्ययम् (indeed)

• sura-pūjitam: worshipped by the gods
• sura-pūjitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjita (प्रातिपदिक; √pūj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (suraiḥ pūjitam) विशेषणम् (rūpam)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya narrates: Nārāyaṇa, holding conch, discus, and mace, responds to the devotee and withdraws the extraordinary form revered by the gods, returning to a worshipful, approachable manifestation.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā
• Devas (Suras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord may reveal different aspects—iconic and cosmic—according to the devotee’s need and the teaching being conveyed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Revā Khaṇḍa’s frame, the sanctity centers on Revā/Narmadā tīrthas, though this verse focuses on the Lord’s manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; it introduces the doctrinal revelation that follows.