Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । शुक्लतीर्थस्य चोत्पत्तिमाकर्णय नरेश्वर । यस्य संदर्शनादेव ब्रह्महत्या प्रलीयते

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | śuklatīrthasya cotpattimākarṇaya nareśvara | yasya saṃdarśanādeva brahmahatyā pralīyate

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർകണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ നരേശ്വരാ, ശുക്ലതീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ ഉത്ഭവം കേൾക്കുക; അതിന്റെ ദർശനമാത്രത്തിൽ തന്നെ ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാപാപവും ലയിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• श्री-मार्कण्डेयः: revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्री-मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• शुक्ल-तीर्थस्य: of Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्ल-तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (शुक्लं तीर्थम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• उत्पत्तिम्: origin
• उत्पत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• आकर्णय: listen (hear)
• आकर्णय: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्णय्/कर्ण (धातु; causative of √कर्ण/√श्रु in sense 'make hear' → 'listen')
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुषः (2nd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• नर-ईश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नर-ईश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् ईश्वरः)

• यस्य: of which/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धे

• संदर्शनात्: from the sight (of it)
• संदर्शनात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; सम् + दर्शन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• ब्रह्म-हत्या: brahmin-slaying sin
• ब्रह्म-हत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः हत्या)

• प्रलीयते: dissolves, is destroyed
• प्रलीयते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ली (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as nara-īśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, radiant and composed, begins recounting the birth of Śukla-tīrtha; a symbolic dark stain (brahmahatyā) dissolves into light upon beholding the sacred spot.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Śuklatīrtha
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places (tīrthas) can purify even the gravest karmic burdens when approached with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, a revered pilgrimage spot associated with the Revā (Narmadā) tradition in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana—visiting and beholding the tīrtha—is presented as spiritually efficacious.