Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

कावेरीसङ्गमः पुण्यस्तीर्थं गोपेश्वराह्वयम् । मार्कण्डेशं च नागेशमुदम्बर्याश्च सङ्गमः

Transliteration

kāverīsaṅgamaḥ puṇyastīrthaṃ gopeśvarāhvayam | mārkaṇḍeśaṃ ca nāgeśamudambaryāśca saṅgamaḥ

Translation

La confluence avec la Kāverī est méritoire : le tīrtha appelé Gopeśvara ; ainsi Mārkaṇḍeśa et Nāgeśa ; et aussi la confluence avec l’Udambarī.

Word by Word

• कावेरीसङ्गमः: the Kāverī confluence
• कावेरीसङ्गमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कावेरी (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कावेर्याः सङ्गमः)

• पुण्यः: holy
• पुण्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (विशेषण)

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• गोपेश्वराह्वयम्: named ‘Gopeśvara’
• गोपेश्वराह्वयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आह्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गोपेश्वर-आह्वयम् = गोपेश्वर-नामकं)

• मार्कण्डेशम्: Mārkaṇḍeśa
• मार्कण्डेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मार्कण्डस्य ईशः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नागेशम्: Nāgeśa
• नागेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नागस्य ईशः)

• उदम्बर्याः: of Udambarī (river/stream)
• उदम्बर्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदम्बरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सङ्गमः: confluence
• सङ्गमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Āvantya/Revā-māhātmya style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāverī-saṅgama; Gopeśvara; Mārkaṇḍeśa; Nāgeśa; Udambarī-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two confluences shown on a Narmadā bank map-like tableau: one labeled Kāverī-saṅgama, another Udambarī-saṅgama; between them stand three liṅga shrines—Gopeśvara with cowherd motifs, Mārkaṇḍeśa with a youthful sage, Nāgeśa with serpent canopy symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Kāverī-saṅgama
• Gopeśvara Tīrtha
• Mārkaṇḍeśa
• Nāgeśa
• Udambarī-saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Confluences and Śiva-lingas together form a sacred network; approaching them is celebrated as a source of puṇya and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāverī confluence, Gopeśvara-tīrtha, Mārkaṇḍeśa, Nāgeśa, and the Udambarī confluence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is given; the tīrtha-saṅgama context traditionally implies snāna and Śiva worship.