Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । एवं ते कथितं राजन्पुराणं धर्मसंहितम् । शिवप्रीत्या यथा प्रोक्तं वायुना देवसंसदि

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | evaṃ te kathitaṃ rājanpurāṇaṃ dharmasaṃhitam | śivaprītyā yathā proktaṃ vāyunā devasaṃsadi

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya dit : Ô Roi, ainsi t’ai-je raconté ce Purāṇa, recueil du dharma, tel que Vāyu l’énonça dans l’assemblée des dieux, pour la joie de Śiva.

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), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथितम्: told/related
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त; कथ् धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (predicate)

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

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa (ancient lore)
• पुराणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• धर्मसंहितम्: compiled/arranged with dharma
• धर्मसंहितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; पुराणम् इति विशेषण (qualifier of 'purāṇam')

• शिवप्रीत्या: for the pleasure of Śiva
• शिवप्रीत्या: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (as cause/motive)

• यथा: as/according as
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/manner)

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रोक्त (कृदन्त; प्र+वच् धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कथितम् इत्यस्य विशेषण (qualifier)

• वायुना: by Vāyu
• वायुना: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• देवसंसदि: in the assembly of the gods
• देवसंसदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + संसद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (contextual frame of Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king; addressed as bhūpāla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya, serene and radiant, concludes the narration to a king; in the background a celestial assembly where Vāyu proclaims the Purāṇa for Śiva’s delight.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Śiva
• Vāyu
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching is presented as an authoritative dharma-text, rooted in divine transmission and oriented toward devotion to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This opening verse sets the frame for Revā/Narmadā māhātmya; the tīrtha focus follows in subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse establishes scriptural authority and devotional intent (Śiva-prīti).