Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र तीर्थद्वयमनुत्तमम् । दधिस्कन्दं मधुस्कन्दं सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्

Transliteration

| śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra tīrthadvayamanuttamam | dadhiskandaṃ madhuskandaṃ sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaram

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർകണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ! തുടർന്ന് നീ ദധിസ്കന്ദം, മധുസ്കന്ദം എന്ന രണ്ടു അനുത്തമ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലേക്കു പോകുക; അവ രണ്ടും സകല പാപങ്ങളെയും ക്ഷയിപ്പിക്കുന്നവയാണ്.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

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

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्ययीभावार्थे/क्रमसूचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• राजेन्द्र: O best of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; राजन् + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन) एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः)

• तीर्थद्वयम्: the pair of tīrthas (two sacred places)
• तीर्थद्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-द्वय (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वे तीर्थे)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थद्वयम् इति)

• दधिस्कन्दम्: Dadhiskanda (name of a tīrtha)
• दधिस्कन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि-स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन; नाम; तत्पुरुषः (दध्नः स्कन्दः/दधि-सम्बद्धः)

• मधुस्कन्दम्: Madhuskanda (name of a tīrtha)
• मधुस्कन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु-स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन; नाम; तत्पुरुषः (मधुनः स्कन्दः/मधु-सम्बद्धः)

• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पाप-क्षय-कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थद्वयम् इति); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वपापानां क्षयः तं करोति)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dadhiskanda and Madhuskanda

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rajendra (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, seated as a sage-teacher, points the way on a stylized map of the Revā bank, marking two radiant spots labeled Dadhiskanda and Madhuskanda; a king listens with folded hands, readying for pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dadhiskanda
• Madhuskanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage (tīrthayātrā) undertaken as dharma—guided by sages—functions as a means of inner purification, described here as the removal of all sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The twin tīrthas named Dadhiskanda and Madhuskanda in the Revākhaṇḍa (associated with the Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription to ‘go’ (gacchet) to these tīrthas; detailed rites follow in subsequent verses.