Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र करोडीश्वरमुत्तमम् । यत्र वै निहतास्तात दानवाः सपदानुगाः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra karoḍīśvaramuttamam | yatra vai nihatāstāta dānavāḥ sapadānugāḥ

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു— തുടർന്ന്, ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ, ഉത്തമമായ കരോഡീശ്വരത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം; അവിടെ, പ്രിയനേ, ദാനവർ അനുചരന്മാരോടുകൂടെ വധിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): क्रम/अनन्तरार्थे ‘thereafter/then’

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; विध्यर्थः (should go)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): अवधारण/विरोध/अन्वयार्थे

• राजेन्द्र: O lord of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• करोडीश्वरम्: (to) Karōḍīśvara
• करोडीश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करोडीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तीर्थ/देव-नाम

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (करोडीश्वरम्)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb): देशवाचक ‘where’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): निश्चय/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थे

• निहताः: were slain
• निहताः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु) → निहत (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा; विधेयभावः (were slain)

• तात: O dear (one)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; स्नेहसम्बोधन

• दानवाः: Dānavas/demons
• दानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विषय), बहुवचन

• सपदानुगाः: together with their followers
• सपदानुगाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पद + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (पदानुगाः सह = ‘with followers’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दानवाः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karoḍīśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya points the way as the king prepares to travel to Karoḍīśvara; in a mythic overlay, gods battle Dānavas near a Śiva-liṅga shrine, establishing the site’s fame.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Karoḍīśvara
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are remembered as sites where dharma prevailed; visiting them connects the pilgrim to that victorious spiritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Karoḍīśvara, a Śiva-tīrtha in the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct pilgrimage instruction: “one should go” (gacchet) to Karoḍīśvara.