Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

रामलक्ष्मणयोरेवं वदतोस्तत्र कानने । आजगाम मुनिश्रेष्ठो मार्कंड इति यः स्मृतः

Transliteration

rāmalakṣmaṇayorevaṃ vadatostatra kānane | ājagāma muniśreṣṭho mārkaṃḍa iti yaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

ആ കാട്ടിൽ രാമനും ലക്ഷ്മണനും ഇങ്ങനെ സംസാരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, മുനിശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ—മാർകണ്ഡൻ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നവൻ—അവിടെ എത്തി.

Word by Word

• rāmalakṣmaṇayoḥ: of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa
• rāmalakṣmaṇayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma + lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, द्विवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• vadatoḥ: while (they) were speaking
• vadatoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive absolute/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle) ‘वदत्’; षष्ठी, द्विवचन (genitive absolute sense)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• kānane: in the forest
• kānane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ājagāma: came
• ājagāma: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• muniśreṣṭhaḥ: the best of sages
• muniśreṣṭhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘श्रेष्ठः मुनिः’); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mārkaṇḍaḥ: Mārkaṇḍa
• mārkaṇḍaḥ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (proper noun)

• iti: thus/so called
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-निपात (quotative particle)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject of relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• smṛtaḥ: is known/called
• smṛtaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/भूतकर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, unspecified in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a forest clearing, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa pause mid-conversation as the venerable sage Mārkaṇḍa approaches—matted hair, water-pot, staff—radiating calm authority.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Mārkaṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In moments of moral crisis, divine help often comes through saints and sages who guide one back to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is a tīrtha-māhātmya; this verse marks a narrative turning point (a sage’s arrival) rather than naming the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the sage who will contextualize sacred acts and merits.