Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । इन्द्रतीर्थेतिविख्यातं नर्मदादक्षिणे तटे

Transliteration

| śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra tīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam | indratīrthetivikhyātaṃ narmadādakṣiṇe taṭe

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അനന്തരം, ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ, പരമശോഭനമായ തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്കു പോകണം; അത് ‘ഇന്ദ്രതീർത്ഥം’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം, നർമദയുടെ തെക്കൻ തീരത്താണ്।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + मार्कण्डेय (कर्मधारय)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb: then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: emphasis/contrast)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—राज्ञां इन्द्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• परमशोभनम्: supremely beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—परमं शोभनम् (कर्मधारय)

• इन्द्रतीर्थ: Indra-tīrtha
• इन्द्रतीर्थ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—इन्द्रस्य तीर्थम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• इति: thus, as
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक निपात (quotative particle)

• विख्यातम्: renowned, famous
• विख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

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

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

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

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Indratīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage (Mārkaṇḍeya) directs a king toward a radiant riverside tīrtha; the Narmadā flows broad and calm, with a marked ford/ghāṭa on the southern bank and a subtle Indra emblem (vajra) indicating the site’s name.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Indratīrtha
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa maps liberation-oriented dharma onto geography, urging pilgrimage to named tīrthas on the Narmadā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indratīrtha, identified as a renowned tīrtha on the Narmadā’s southern bank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction: to proceed to Indratīrtha as part of the tīrtha itinerary.