Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो भृगुः श्रिया चैव समेतः कच्छपं गतः । अभिनन्द्य यथान्यायमुवाच वचनं शुभम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato bhṛguḥ śriyā caiva sametaḥ kacchapaṃ gataḥ | abhinandya yathānyāyamuvāca vacanaṃ śubham

Translation

ശ്രീമാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അപ്പോൾ ഭൃഗു ശ്രീയോടൊപ്പം കച്ഛപന്റെ അടുക്കൽ ചെന്നു. യഥാവിധി അഭിവാദ്യം ചെയ്ത് അദ്ദേഹം ശുഭവചനങ്ങൾ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Temporal/Source adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक अव्यय (then/from there)

• भृगुः: Bhṛgu
• भृगुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रिया: with Śrī
• श्रिया: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणबोधक अव्यय (indeed/just)

• समेतः: accompanied
• समेतः: Karta (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + इ (धातु) → समेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle: accompanied/come together), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (भृगुः)

• कच्छपम्: the tortoise
• कच्छपम्: Karma (Goal as object with motion verb)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कच्छप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Main action: went)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle: gone), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे (finite sense)

• अभिनन्द्य: having greeted
• अभिनन्द्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + नन्द् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund: having greeted)

• यथान्यायम्: according to propriety
• यथान्यायम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverb: according to rule/propriety)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वचनम्: words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (वचनम्)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kacchapa-sannidhi within Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-story audience (not specified in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya narrates: Bhṛgu and Śrī travel together to Kacchapa; they offer respectful salutations and begin an auspicious address.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Bhṛgu
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Kacchapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching sacred guardians requires humility and correct conduct; dharma begins with proper respect.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa locale associated with Kacchapa as a supporting guardian is implied.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it prescribes yathānyāya-abhinandana—proper respectful greeting before making a request.