Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महाराज तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । ब्रह्महत्याहरं प्रोक्तं रेवातटसमाश्रयम् । हनूमताभिधं ह्यत्र विद्यते लिङ्गमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahārāja tīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam | brahmahatyāharaṃ proktaṃ revātaṭasamāśrayam | hanūmatābhidhaṃ hyatra vidyate liṅgamuttamam

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർകണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അതിനുശേഷം, ഹേ മഹാരാജാ, പരമശോഭനമായ തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുക; അത് ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാനാശകമെന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധവും രേവാതീരാശ്രിതവുമാണ്. അവിടെ ‘ഹനൂമതാ’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള ഉത്തമ ലിംഗം നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (श्री-युक्तः मार्कण्डेयः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'then/thereafter')

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

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (great king); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: to a sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• परमशोभनम्: most splendid
• परमशोभनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (supremely beautiful); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• ब्रह्महत्याहरम्: removing the sin of brahmin-slaughter
• ब्रह्महत्याहरम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (remover of brahmahatyā); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• प्रोक्तम्: declared/called
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• रेवातटसमाश्रयम्: situated on the bank of Revā
• रेवातटसमाश्रयम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रेवा + तट + समाश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रेवायाः तटस्य समाश्रयः = having refuge on Revā’s bank); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• हनूमताभिधम्: named Hanūmat
• हनूमताभिधम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हनूमत् + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (हनूमता अभिधीयते इति = named Hanūmat); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्/तीर्थम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle: 'indeed')

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: 'here')

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hanūmata (Hanūmateśvara) tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya guiding Yudhiṣṭhira toward a radiant Revā-bank shrine; an ancient liṅga labeled ‘Hanūmata’ under a sacred tree, with pilgrims approaching in humility.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Hanūmata (Hanūmateśvara Liṅga)
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a divinely empowered tīrtha and worship of the Liṅga is upheld as a potent means of purification from grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hanūmata/Hanūmateśvara Liṅga tīrtha on the bank of the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gamana (going on pilgrimage) to the tīrtha is prescribed; worship is implied by the presence and praise of the Liṅga.