Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । आश्चर्यभूतं लोकस्य देवदेवेन यत्कृतम् । तत्ते सर्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि नर्मदातटवासिनाम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | āścaryabhūtaṃ lokasya devadevena yatkṛtam | tatte sarvaṃ pravakṣyāmi narmadātaṭavāsinām

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു: ദേവാധിദേവൻ നർമ്മദാ തീരവാസികൾക്കായി ചെയ്ത അത്ഭുതകരമായ പ്രവൃത്തിയെക്കുറിച്ച് ഞാൻ അങ്ങയോട് പൂർണ്ണമായി പറയാം.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणपूर्वपद-समास (श्री- = venerable)

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

• आश्चर्यभूतम्: marvellous, wondrous
• आश्चर्यभूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्चर्य-भूत (प्रातिपदिक; आश्चर्य + भूत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण

• लोकस्य: of the world/people
• लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• देवदेवेन: by the God of gods
• देवदेवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक; देव + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘देवों का देव’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यत्’ का विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; ‘तुभ्यम्’ (enclitic)

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘तत्’ का विशेषण/समुच्चय

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• नर्मदातटवासिनाम्: of the dwellers on the Narmadā’s bank
• नर्मदातटवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-तट-वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + तट + वासिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘नर्मदातटे वसन्ति ये’

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya begins narration on the Narmadā bank, gesturing toward the river as he announces a wondrous act of the Lord of Lords affecting the riverbank residents.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Deva-deva (Supreme Lord)
• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching is transmitted through sacred narration: divine acts become guidance for dharma and devotion when heard with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā riverbank region (Revā-taṭa) as a sacred landscape; the specific tīrtha is not yet named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) is implied as the preparatory act, though no explicit ritual is prescribed here.