Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । मंगलाख्ये महातीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा विकल्मषः । एकांतरामनाथाख्यं क्षेत्रं गच्छेत्ततः परम्

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | maṃgalākhye mahātīrthe naraḥ snātvā vikalmaṣaḥ | ekāṃtarāmanāthākhyaṃ kṣetraṃ gacchettataḥ param

Translation

ശ്രീസൂതൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു— ‘മംഗള’ എന്ന മഹാതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് മനുഷ്യൻ കല്മഷരഹിതനാകട്ടെ; തുടർന്ന് അവൻ ‘ഏകാന്തരാമനാഥ’ എന്ന പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം।

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: the venerable Sūta
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् सूतः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मंगलाख्ये: in (the place) named Maṅgala
• मंगलाख्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मंगल (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक; from √ख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7), एकवचन; विशेषणम् to महातीर्थे; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मंगलम् आख्या यस्य)

• महातीर्थे: in the great sacred ford
• महातीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् तीर्थम्)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bathed)

• विकल्मषः: free from sin/impurity
• विकल्मषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् to नरः

• एकान्तरामनाथाख्यम्: named Ekānta-Rāmanātha
• एकान्तरामनाथाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + राम (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक; from √ख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् to क्षेत्रम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (एकान्तरामनाथ इति आख्या यस्य)

• क्षेत्रम्: holy region/field (sacred place)
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2), एकवचन

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विधि/आदेश (should go)

• ततः: from there/thereafter
• ततः: Apadana/Sequence (Source/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादानार्थक/क्रमवाचक (from there/thereafter)

• परम्: further/next
• परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (further/next) qualifying 'गच्छेत्' or 'क्षेत्रम्'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṅgala Mahātīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembled sages (implied) / general pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates to sages; a pilgrim bathes at a bright ‘Maṅgala’ tīrtha, shedding dark impurities, then walks a sandy coastal path toward a secluded shrine named Ekāntarāmanātha.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Maṅgala Mahātīrtha
• Ekāntarāmanātha Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is a dhārmic journey: purification through tīrtha-snānā leads one onward to higher sanctity in successive kṣetras.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṅgala Mahātīrtha is named as the purifying bathing-place, leading to Ekāntarāmanātha Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Maṅgala Mahātīrtha, followed by pilgrimage travel to Ekāntarāmanātha.