Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि सर्वतीर्थादनुत्तमम् । उत्तरे नर्मदाकूले शुक्लतीर्थं युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

| śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi sarvatīrthādanuttamam | uttare narmadākūle śuklatīrthaṃ yudhiṣṭhira

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർകണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇനി ഞാൻ സർവ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലെയും അനുത്തമമായ തീർത്ഥം പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു; ഹേ യുധിഷ്ഠിര, നർമദയുടെ ഉത്തര തീരത്തിലുള്ള ശുക്ലതീർത്ഥം।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: कर्ता (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (उपपद/प्रातिपदिक) + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अतः: thereafter/therefore
• अतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; हेत्वर्थ/अनन्तरार्थ-क्रियाविशेषणम् (therefore/thereafter)

• परम्: further/next
• परम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (accusative used adverbially): परम् = further/next

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वतीर्थात्: than all pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थात्: अपादान (Comparison/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Ablative singular); कर्मधारय-समासः (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: कर्म (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (of implied तीर्थम्)

• उत्तरे: on the northern
• उत्तरे: अधिकरण-विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with कूले)

• नर्मदाकूले: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदाकूले: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः कूलम्)

• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्लतीर्थम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः (शुक्लं तीर्थम्)

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: सम्बोधन (Addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Vocative singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya addressing Yudhiṣṭhira, pointing toward the Narmadā’s northern bank; the river gleams pale/white (śukla) with a tīrtha-ghāṭ and pilgrims in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Śukla-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among pilgrimage places, certain tīrthas are singled out as supreme due to their unique sanctity and liberating power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla-tīrtha, located on the northern bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite yet; the verse introduces the forthcoming māhātmya of Śukla-tīrtha.