Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । गोपेश्वरं ततो गच्छेत्सर्पक्षेत्रादनन्तरम् । यत्र स्नानेन चैकेन मुच्यन्ते पातकैर्नराः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | gopeśvaraṃ tato gacchetsarpakṣetrādanantaram | yatra snānena caikena mucyante pātakairnarāḥ

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അതിന് ശേഷം സർപ്പക്ഷേത്രത്തിനു പിന്നാലെ ഉടൻ ഗോപേശ്വരത്തിലേക്കു പോകണം; അവിടെ ഒരൊറ്റ സ്നാനത്താൽ മനുഷ്യർ പാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതരാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + मार्कण्डेय (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

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

• गोपेश्वरम्: Gopeśvara (name of Śiva/temple)
• गोपेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—गोपानाम् ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘then/from there’)

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

• सर्पक्षेत्रात्: from (the place called) Sarpa-kṣetra
• सर्पक्षेत्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—सर्पाणां क्षेत्रम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषणवत्); अर्थः—तत्क्षणानन्तरम् (immediately after)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• एकेन: with a single (bath)
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्नानेन इति)

• मुच्यन्ते: are freed
• मुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘are released’)

• पातकैः: from sins
• पातकैः: Hetu/Apakarshana (Cause/Separation sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• नराः: men; people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopeśvara

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim procession leaves Sarpakṣetra and arrives at a Shaiva ford/ghāṭa named Gopeśvara; devotees step into the river for a single solemn bath, with a small shrine of Śiva nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Gopeśvara
• Sarpakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and sacred bathing at Śiva-tīrthas are presented as swift means of purification and moral renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopeśvara tīrtha (a Śiva site), visited after Sarpakṣetra within the Revā-khaṇḍa pilgrimage landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (a single bath) at the Gopeśvara tīrtha for removal of pātakas (sins).