Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततोऽर्णवात्समुत्तीर्य त्रिकूटशिखरे स्थितम् । महाकनकवर्णाभे नानावर्णशिलाचिते

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato'rṇavātsamuttīrya trikūṭaśikhare sthitam | mahākanakavarṇābhe nānāvarṇaśilācite

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർകണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അനന്തരം സമുദ്രം കടന്ന് മേലേറി ഞാൻ ത്രികൂടശിഖരത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന പ്രഭുവിനെ ദർശിച്ചു. മഹാസുവർണവർണ്ണപ്രഭയിൽ ദീപ്തനും നാനാവർണശിലകളാൽ അലങ്കൃതനുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अव्ययीभावार्थे/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'then/from there')

• अर्णवात्: from the ocean
• अर्णवात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• समुत्तीर्य: having crossed/come out
• समुत्तीर्य: Kriya (Action—prior act/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-उत्-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• त्रिकूटशिखरे: on the peak of Trikūṭa
• त्रिकूटशिखरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिकूट-शिखर (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + कूट + शिखर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थितम्: standing; situated
• स्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying an implied object)

• महाकनकवर्णाभे: in/at (a place) having the luster of great gold
• महाकनकवर्णाभे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकनकवर्ण-आभ (प्रातिपदिक; महा + कनक + वर्ण + आभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (describing the place/peak)

• नानावर्णशिलाचिते: adorned with stones of many colors
• नानावर्णशिलाचिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना-वर्ण-शिला-चित (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + वर्ण + शिला + चित)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle used adjectivally), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trikūṭa-śikhara (as a darśana-sthala in Revā-khaṇḍa narrative)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied royal/epic audience within the frame narrative (later explicit: Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage emerging from the oceanic expanse and beholding a three-peaked mountain summit glittering like molten gold, inlaid with many-hued stones; the summit feels otherworldly, as if a celestial terrace.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Trikūṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is portrayed as a divine theater—crossing peril (the ocean) leads to a vision of the holy summit where the Lord abides.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Trikūṭa-śikhara (the summit of Trikūṭa) is highlighted as a luminous sacred locus within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, establishing the sanctity and splendor of the location.