Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल तीर्थं परमरोचनम् । मार्कण्डेशमिति ख्यातं नर्मदादक्षिणे तटे

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahīpāla tīrthaṃ paramarocanam | mārkaṇḍeśamiti khyātaṃ narmadādakṣiṇe taṭe

Translation

ശ്രീമാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു— ഹേ മഹീപാലാ! തുടർന്ന് നീ പരമ ദീപ്തിയുള്ള തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുക; അത് ‘മാർക്കണ്ഡേശം’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം, നർമദയുടെ ദക്ഷിണ തീരത്താണ്.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणपूर्वपद-युक्तः (श्री- इति)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विधिवाक्ये (should go)

• महीपाल: O king
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: to a sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परमरोचनम्: most delightful
• परमरोचनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-रोचन (प्रातिपदिक; परम + रोचन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्

• मार्कण्डेशम्: (it is) Mārkaṇḍeśa
• मार्कण्डेशम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (place-name)

• इति: thus/so called
• इति: Quotation/Marker (इति-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश-चिह्न

• ख्यातम्: is renowned
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is renowned)

• नर्मदायाः: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तटे इति विशेषणम्

• तटे: bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mārkaṇḍeśa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as mahīpāla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya ṛṣi instructs a king to proceed to a radiant Narmadā ford; the river flows broad and dark-blue, with a south-bank ghāṭ and a small Śiva shrine labeled Mārkaṇḍeśa.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā
• Mārkaṇḍeśa Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is framed as a deliberate dharmic journey—moving from one tīrtha to another to receive increasing spiritual radiance and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mārkaṇḍeśa Tīrtha, located on the southern bank of the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction is given: one should go to (visit) the Mārkaṇḍeśa tīrtha; specific rites are not detailed in this verse.