Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महाराज रुक्मिणीतीर्थमुत्तमम् । यत्रैव स्नानमात्रेण रूपवान्सुभगो भवेत्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahārāja rukmiṇītīrthamuttamam | yatraiva snānamātreṇa rūpavānsubhago bhavet

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർകണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അനന്തരം, ഹേ മഹാരാജാ, ഉത്തമമായ രുക്മിണീ-തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം; അവിടെ സ്നാനമാത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ മനുഷ്യൻ രൂപവാനും സൗഭാഗ്യവാനും ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणपूर्वक-नाम (honorific + proper noun)

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

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (then/thereafter)

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

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधनपद

• रुक्मिणीतीर्थम्: the Rukmiṇī sacred ford
• रुक्मिणीतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रुक्मिण्याः तीर्थम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis: indeed/just)

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्नानस्य मात्रम्)

• रूपवान्: handsome
• रूपवान्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (सः/जनः)

• सुभगः: fortunate, auspicious
• सुभगः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुभग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (सः/जनः)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rukmiṇī-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs Yudhiṣṭhira about proceeding to Rukmiṇī-tīrtha; pilgrims bathe in a calm river-ford with offerings on the bank, suggesting the ‘beauty and fortune’ boon.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Mahārāja (king)
• Rukmiṇī-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is a path of uplift: even simple acts like tīrtha-bathing are framed as transformative when done with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rukmiṇī-tīrtha, praised as an excellent pilgrimage spot in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Going to the tīrtha and performing snāna (ritual bath); the verse highlights snāna-mātra (bathing alone) as efficacious.