Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततः क्रोशान्तरे गच्छेदलिकातीर्थमुत्तमम् । अलिका नाम गान्धर्वी कुशीला कुटिलाशया

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tataḥ krośāntare gacchedalikātīrthamuttamam | alikā nāma gāndharvī kuśīlā kuṭilāśayā

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു: അവിടെ നിന്ന് ഒരു ക്രോശ ദൂരത്തിലുള്ള ഉത്തമമായ അലികാ തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം. അലിക എന്ന് പേരുള്ള ഒരു ഗന്ധർവ്വ സ്ത്രീയുണ്ടായിരുന്നു, അവൾ ദുശ്ശീലയും കുടിലചിന്താഗതിക്കാരിയുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), 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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—काल/क्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

• क्रोशान्तरे: within a krośa-distance; in the interval of a krośa
• क्रोशान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोश + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—क्रोशस्य अन्तरे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• अलिकातीर्थम्: the Alikā sacred ford
• अलिकातीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलिका + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—अलिकायाः तीर्थम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• उत्तमम्: excellent; best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अलिकातीर्थम्)

• अलिका: Alikā
• अलिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—नामनिर्देशक (particle indicating name)

• गान्धर्वी: a Gandharva maiden
• गान्धर्वी: Samānādhikaraṇa (Appositional/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जातिवाचक/पदवी (a Gandharva-woman)

• कुशीला: ill-natured; of bad conduct
• कुशीला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying गान्धर्वी/अलिका)

• कुटिलाशया: having a crooked intention
• कुटिलाशया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुटिल + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कुटिलः आशयः यस्याः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः); विशेषणम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Alikā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a king (nṛpa) addressed later in the passage; traditionally the royal interlocutor of the Revā-khaṇḍa narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim party on the Narmadā bank is directed ‘one krośa onward’ toward Alikā-tīrtha; in the narrative foreground appears Alikā, a gandharva maiden with alluring beauty but shadowed, restless eyes suggesting crooked intent.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Alikā Tīrtha
• Alikā
• Gandharvī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a flawed life becomes a doorway to tīrtha-grace when the Purāṇa reveals a sacred place and the karmic story behind it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Alikā Tīrtha, described as an excellent pilgrimage spot within the Revā Khaṇḍa landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction: ‘one should go’ to Alikā Tīrtha (a travel/visit injunction), setting up the māhātmya narrative.