Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ओंकारात्पूर्वभागे वै सङ्गमो लोकविश्रुतः । रेवया संगता यत्र नीलगङ्गा नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | oṃkārātpūrvabhāge vai saṅgamo lokaviśrutaḥ | revayā saṃgatā yatra nīlagaṅgā nṛpottama

Translation

ಶ್ರೀ ಮಾರ್ಕಂಡೇಯರು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಹೇ ನೃಪೋತ್ತಮ! ಓಂಕಾರದ ಪೂರ್ವಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಲೋಕವಿಖ್ಯಾತ ಸಂಗಮವಿದೆ; ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನೀಲಗಂಗಾ ರೇವೆಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸೇರುತ್ತದೆ।

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), परस्मैपद

• ओंकारात्: from (the place called) Oṃkāra
• ओंकारात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• पूर्वभागे: in the eastern part
• पूर्वभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—पूर्व + भाग (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधानार्थ/निश्चयार्थ

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

• लोकविश्रुतः: world-renowned
• लोकविश्रुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + विश्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—लोक + विश्रुत (तत्पुरुष: ‘in the world renowned’)

• रेवया: with Revā (river)
• रेवया: Sahakarana/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• संगता: joined/merged
• संगता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + गम् (धातु) → संगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• नीलगङ्गा: Nīlagāṅgā (the ‘Blue Gaṅgā’)
• नीलगङ्गा: Karta/Pratipadya (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील + गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—नीला गङ्गा (कर्मधारय)

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—नृपेषु उत्तमः (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā–Nīlagaṅgā Saṅgama (east of Oṃkāra)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as nṛpottama (contextually Yudhiṣṭhira in surrounding dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene river confluence east of Omkareshwar: the dark-blue Nīlagaṅgā stream merges into the broad Revā; pilgrims stand at the meeting waters with folded hands; distant silhouette of the Omkareshvara temple on the island/riverbank; rishis as subtle witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Oṃkāra (Oṃkāreśvara kṣetra)
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Nīlagaṅgā
• Saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is framed as entering a divinely charged landscape—specific directions and confluences are presented as spiritually consequential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The famed saṅgama east of Oṃkāra (Oṃkāreśvara area) where Nīlagaṅgā joins the Revā/Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite in this verse; it identifies the tīrtha location that subsequent verses praise for snāna/japa.