Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

त्रयोदश्यां ततो गच्छेद्गुहावासिनि लिङ्गके । दृष्ट्वा मार्कण्डमीशानं मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Transliteration

trayodaśyāṃ tato gacchedguhāvāsini liṅgake | dṛṣṭvā mārkaṇḍamīśānaṃ mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ത്രയോദശിയിൽ ഗുഹയിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന ലിംഗത്തിന്റെ ദർശനത്തിന് പോകണം. മാർകണ്ഡ (മാർകണ്ഡേശ്വരൻ) രൂപമായ ഈശാനനെ ദർശിച്ചാൽ സർവ്വപാതകങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു മോചനം ലഭിക്കും.

Word by Word

• त्रयोदश्याम्: on the thirteenth (lunar day)
• त्रयोदश्याम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थ — Indeclinable adverb “then/thereafter”

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

• गुहावासिनि: in the cave-dwelling (one)
• गुहावासिनि: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: गुहायां वासी); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular (agreeing with लिङ्गके)

• लिङ्गके: at the small liṅga (shrine)
• लिङ्गके: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्गक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (पूर्वकालक्रिया) — Gerund (absolutive), “having seen”

• मार्कण्डम्: Mārkaṇḍa (name)
• मार्कण्डम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular (apposition to मार्कण्डम्)

• मुच्यते: is released
• मुच्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular; Passive voice

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (stem in compound) — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural (as compound member)

• पातकैः: from sins
• पातकैः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual instruction within Revākhaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guhāvāsinī Liṅga (Mārkaṇḍeśvara/Īśāna)

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rocky cave mouth opens to a sanctum where a self-manifest liṅga stands; pilgrims with lamps approach on trayodaśī nightfall; the liṅga is revered as Mārkaṇḍeśvara—Īśāna’s compassionate presence—promising liberation from sins.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna
• Mārkaṇḍeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and darśana of Śiva at a sanctified shrine, timed with sacred tithi, is taught as a powerful purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A cave-residing liṅga identified with Mārkaṇḍeśvara within the Revākhaṇḍa sacred circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Going on trayodaśī to the cave-liṅga for darśana of Mārkaṇḍeśvara/Īśāna.