Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । रेवाया उत्तरे कूले तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । रविणा निर्मितं पार्थ सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | revāyā uttare kūle tīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam | raviṇā nirmitaṃ pārtha sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaram

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ പാർഥാ! റേവയുടെ ഉത്തര തീരത്ത് പരമശോഭനമായ ഒരു തീർത്ഥമുണ്ട്; അത് രവിയാൽ സ്ഥാപിതം; അത് സർവ്വപാപക്ഷയകരം.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘श्री’ इति उपसर्ग-विशेषणपूर्वकं नाम

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रेवायाः: of the Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• उत्तरे: on the northern
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘कूले’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कूले: bank/shore
• कूले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta/Predicate Noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विधेय-पदम्

• परमशोभनम्: supremely beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-शोभन (प्रातिपदिक; परम + शोभन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रविणा: by the Sun (Ravi)
• रविणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• निर्मितम्: constructed/created
• निर्मितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पाप-क्षय-कर (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + पाप + क्षय + कर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पापक्षयस्य करः’)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravi-nirmita Tīrtha (Sūrya-tīrtha on Revā’s north bank)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi addressing Pārtha, pointing toward the Narmadā’s northern bank where a radiant Sūrya-founded tīrtha shines; river glints, ghāṭa steps, a small Sūrya shrine or emblem.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage geography is presented as divinely instituted; visiting such a tīrtha is said to purify even deep moral taints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A splendid Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha on the northern bank, credited to Ravi (Sūrya) as its establisher.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet; the verse introduces the tīrtha and its sin-destroying potency.