Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्पाण्डुपुत्र शक्रतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धो महाभागो देवराजः शतक्रतुः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchetpāṇḍuputra śakratīrthamanuttamam | yatra siddho mahābhāgo devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—അനന്തരം, ഹേ പാണ്ഡുപുത്രാ, അനുത്തമമായ ശക്രതീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്കു പോകണം; അവിടെ മഹാഭാഗനായ ദേവരാജൻ ശതക്രതു (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) സിദ്ധി പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पाण्डुपुत्र: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुपुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु-पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; पाण्डु + पुत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पाण्डोः पुत्रः)

• शक्रतीर्थम्: Śakra’s sacred ford (tīrtha)
• शक्रतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; शक्र + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शक्रस्य तीर्थम्)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed; excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शक्रतीर्थम्)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक (relative adverb of place)

• सिद्धः: accomplished; perfected
• सिद्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √सिध्-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (देवराजः/शतक्रतुः)

• महाभागः: most fortunate; illustrious
• महाभागः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक; महा + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य)

• देवराजः: king of the gods
• देवराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-राज (प्रातिपदिक; देव + राज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां राजा)

• शतक्रतुः: Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतुः: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत-क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक; शत + क्रतु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शतं क्रतवो यस्य/शतक्रतुः—इन्द्रस्य नाम)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śakra-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍuputra (a Pāṇḍava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs the Pāṇḍava to proceed to Śakra-tīrtha; in the background a luminous riverbank tīrtha with Indra’s emblematic presence (vajra, white elephant) suggesting past siddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Pāṇḍuputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Śakratīrtha
• Śakra (Indra)
• Śatakratu
• Devarāja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the king of the gods is portrayed as attaining spiritual accomplishment through a tīrtha, elevating pilgrimage as a legitimate path of merit and power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śakratīrtha, a revered pilgrimage spot in the Revā Khaṇḍa itinerary.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The instruction is to visit (gacchet) Śakratīrtha; the specific rites are not stated in this verse.