Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । शृङ्गितीर्थं ततो गच्छेन्मोक्षदं सर्वदेहिनाम् । मृतानां तत्र राजेन्द्र मोक्षप्राप्तिर्न संशयः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | śṛṅgitīrthaṃ tato gacchenmokṣadaṃ sarvadehinām | mṛtānāṃ tatra rājendra mokṣaprāptirna saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർകണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അതിനുശേഷം സർവ്വ ദേഹധാരികൾക്കും മോക്ഷം നൽകുന്ന ശൃംഗിതീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം. ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ! അവിടെ മരിക്കുന്നവർക്ക് മോക്ഷപ്രാപ്തിയിൽ സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृङ्गितीर्थम्: Śṛṅgi-tīrtha
• शृङ्गितीर्थम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्गितीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; शृङ्गि + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शृङ्गिणः तीर्थम्)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Desha/Kala (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/from there)

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

• मोक्षदम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्षद (प्रातिपदिक; मोक्ष + द)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (मोक्षं ददाति इति)

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वदेहिन् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + देहिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः

• मृतानाम्: of the dead
• मृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; राजन् + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः)

• मोक्षप्राप्तिः: attainment of liberation
• मोक्षप्राप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्षप्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक; मोक्ष + प्राप्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मोक्षस्य प्राप्तिः)

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śṛṅgitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed ‘rājendra’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya points the way to Śṛṅgitīrtha; a sacred ford on the Revā with steps/ghat, pilgrims bathing; above, a symbolic gateway of liberation; the king listens reverently.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Śṛṅgitīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain tīrthas are taught as mokṣa-prada—places where pilgrimage and especially death are said to culminate in liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śṛṅgitīrtha, praised as a liberation-granting ford within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage (gacchet)—the instruction is to go to the tīrtha; no specific rite is stated in this verse.