Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । अन्धकं तु निहत्याथ देवदेवो महेश्वरः । उमया सहितो रुद्रः कैलासमगमन्नगम्

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | andhakaṃ tu nihatyātha devadevo maheśvaraḥ | umayā sahito rudraḥ kailāsamagamannagam

Translation

മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അന്ധകനെ വധിച്ച ശേഷം ദേവദേവനായ മഹേശ്വരൻ രുദ്രൻ, ഉമയോടുകൂടെ, കൈലാസപർവതത്തിലേക്കു പോയി।

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अन्धकम्: Andhaka
• अन्धकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• निहत्य: having slain
• निहत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having slain)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• देवदेवः: god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (देवानां देवः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उमया: with Umā
• उमया: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (कृदन्त; सह्/सह धातोः)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सह’ अर्थे विशेषणम्

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कैलासम्: Kailāsa
• कैलासम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अगमत्: went
• अगमत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नगम्: mountain
• नगम्: Karma (Apposition/कर्म-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘कैलासम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narrator Mārkaṇḍeya describes the aftermath: Andhaka slain; Rudra, with Umā, ascends/returns to Mount Kailāsa—snowy peaks, divine attendants, serene closure after battle.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Andhaka
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Rudra
• Umā (Pārvatī)
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord removes cosmic disorder (adharma) and re-establishes auspiciousness, returning to the divine abode with Śakti (Umā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Kailāsa is referenced as Śiva’s sacred abode, serving as a central locus of Śaiva sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it provides narrative transition after the slaying of Andhaka.