Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेद्धरापाल भार्गलेश्वरमुत्तमम् । शङ्करं जगतः प्राणं स्मृतमात्राघनाशनम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gaccheddharāpāla bhārgaleśvaramuttamam | śaṅkaraṃ jagataḥ prāṇaṃ smṛtamātrāghanāśanam

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ധരാപാലാ! തുടർന്ന് ഉത്തമമായ ഭാർഗലേശ്വരത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം—ജഗത്തിന്റെ പ്രാണസ്വരൂപനായ ശങ്കരൻ; സ്മരണ മാത്രത്തിൽ പാപം നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ.

Word by Word

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

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

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

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

• धरापाल: O protector of the earth (king)
• धरापाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; समासः—धरायाः पालः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• भार्गलेश्वरम्: to Bhārgaleśvara
• भार्गलेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—भार्गलस्य ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (भार्गलेश्वरम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• शङ्करम्: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (भार्गलेश्वरस्य अभिधानम्)

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• प्राणम्: life-breath
• प्राणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (शङ्करम् इत्यस्य समानाधिकरण-विशेषणवत्)

• स्मृतमात्राघनाशनम्: destroyer of sin by mere remembrance
• स्मृतमात्राघनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (स्मृ धातु + क्त, कृदन्त) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—स्मृतमात्रेण अघं नाशयति इति (सप्तमी/तृतीया-अर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् + उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhārgaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (dharāpāla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs the king to proceed to the eminent Bhārgaleśvara; a Śiva-liṅga shrine near the Revā, with pilgrims approaching in devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Bhārgaleśvara
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Revā (Narmadā) region (sectional context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage joined with remembrance of Śiva is exalted: even mental recollection of Śaṅkara is said to destroy sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhārgaleśvara, a Śiva-kṣetra praised within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā pilgrimage circuit).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction is given—“one should go” to Bhārgaleśvara; remembrance (smaraṇa) of Śaṅkara is highlighted as spiritually efficacious.