Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राजन्संहृष्टा ऋषयोऽभवन् । नर्मदां स्तोतुमारब्धाः कृताञ्जलिपुटा द्विजाः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | etacchrutvā vaco rājansaṃhṛṣṭā ṛṣayo'bhavan | narmadāṃ stotumārabdhāḥ kṛtāñjalipuṭā dvijāḥ

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഈ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ടപ്പോൾ ഋഷിമാർ അത്യന്തം ഹർഷിതരായി. കരംകൂപ്പി ദ്വിജന്മാർ നർമദയെ സ്തുതിക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങി.

Word by Word

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

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• संहृष्टाः: delighted
• संहृष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संहृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √हृष्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अभवन्: became/were
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नर्मदाम्: Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्तोतुम्: to praise
• स्तोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• आरब्धाः: having begun/started
• आरब्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आरब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √रभ्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• कृताञ्जलिपुटाः: with hands folded in reverence
• कृताञ्जलिपुटाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + अञ्जलि + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कृतः अञ्जलिपुटः येषाम्)

• द्विजाः: twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of delighted ṛṣis on the Narmadā bank, hands folded (kṛtāñjali), beginning a hymn; the river flows serenely with tīrtha markers and forested ghāṭs.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• King (listener)
• Ṛṣis
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Dvipas (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True hearing (śravaṇa) of tirtha-glory naturally culminates in devotion—praise, reverence, and prayer.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā/Revā, as the object of a formal stotra by sages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stotra (hymnic praise) with añjali (folded hands) is indicated as the devotional act.