Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

एकशालं डिण्डिपाणिं तीर्थं चाप्सरसं परम् । मुन्यालयं च मार्कण्डं गणितादेवताह्वयम्

Transliteration

ekaśālaṃ ḍiṇḍipāṇiṃ tīrthaṃ cāpsarasaṃ param | munyālayaṃ ca mārkaṇḍaṃ gaṇitādevatāhvayam

Translation

ഏകശാലം, ഡിണ്ഡിപാണി, പരമമായ അപ്സരസാ-തീർത്ഥം എന്നിവയും പറയുന്നു; മുന്യാലയം, മാർകണ്ഡം, കൂടാതെ ‘ഗണിതാദേവതാ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായ സ്ഥലവും ഉണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• एकशालम्: Ekaśāla (name)
• एकशालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + शाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/द्विगु-प्राय (एकस्य शाला)

• डिण्डिपाणिम्: Ḍiṇḍipāṇi (name; 'one with a drum in hand')
• डिण्डिपाणिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: डिण्डि + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (डिण्डिः यस्य पाणौ/डिण्डि-धारी)

• तीर्थम्: sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• अप्सरसम्: Apsarasa (name)
• अप्सरसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (नामरूपे), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तीर्थनाम

• परम्: supreme, excellent
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थस्य)

• मुन्यालयम्: Munyālaya (name; 'hermitage of a sage')
• मुन्यालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनेः आलयः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• मार्कण्डम्: Mārkaṇḍa (name)
• मार्कण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तीर्थनाम

• गणितादेवताह्वयम्: called (named) 'Gaṇitā-devatā'
• गणितादेवताह्वयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गणित + देवता + आह्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गणितया देवतया आह्वयः/आह्वयम्); विशेषण (तीर्थस्य/स्थानस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ekaśāla; Ḍiṇḍipāṇi; Apsarasa-tīrtha; Munyālaya; Mārkaṇḍa; Gaṇitādevatā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene forest hermitage by the river: thatched huts (Munyālaya), a venerable rishi figure representing Mārkaṇḍeya, and a luminous bathing spot where celestial apsarases are suggested through reflected silhouettes and floating garlands (Apsarasa-tīrtha). Nearby, a guardian-deity shrine labeled Ḍiṇḍipāṇi holding a small drum (ḍiṇḍi) and a quirky local sanctum labeled Gaṇitādevatā with counting beads/ledger motifs (symbolic).

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Ekaśāla
• Ḍiṇḍipāṇi
• Āpsarasa Tīrtha
• Munyālaya
• Mārkaṇḍa
• Gaṇitādevatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Revā Khaṇḍa frames the riverbank as a chain of sanctified stations—remembering and visiting them is itself an act of dharma that accumulates merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ekaśāla, Ḍiṇḍipāṇi, Āpsarasa-tīrtha, Munyālaya, Mārkaṇḍa, and Gaṇitādevatā—multiple named tīrthas in the list.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription (snāna/dāna/japa) is stated; the verse enumerates sacred places and their revered status.