Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महाराज कुसुमेश्वरमुत्तमम् । दक्षिणे नर्मदाकूले उपपातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahārāja kusumeśvaramuttamam | dakṣiṇe narmadākūle upapātakanāśanam

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അതിനുശേഷം, മഹാരാജാവേ, നർമദയുടെ തെക്കൻ തീരത്തിലുള്ള ഉത്തമ കുസുമേശ്വരനിലേക്കു പോകുക; അവൻ ഉപപാതകങ്ങളെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ.

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

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

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

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

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

• कुसुमेश्वरम्: Kusumeśvara (name of Śiva/linga)
• कुसुमेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; कुसुम + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent; supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

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

• नर्मदाकूले: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदाकूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-कूल (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + कूल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• उपपातकनाशनम्: destroyer of minor sins
• उपपातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपपातक-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; उपपातक + नाशन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कुसुमेश्वरम् इति)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kusumeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king; traditionally the inquirer in Revākhaṇḍa frames)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs a king on a riverbank; the Narmadā flows to the side, and a modest Śiva shrine (liṅga under a canopy) stands on the southern bank, pilgrims approaching with water-pots and flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā
• Kusumeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage undertaken with faith purifies; sacred geography is presented as a path of dharma and moral renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kusumeśvara on the southern bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is pilgrimage/visitation (gacchet) to Kusumeśvara; the verse highlights its power to destroy upapātakas (minor sins).