Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । सङ्गमः करनर्मदयोः पुरे मान्धातृसंज्ञिते । गत्वा स्नात्वा तपयित्वा पित्ःन्विष्णुपुरं नयेत्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | saṅgamaḥ karanarmadayoḥ pure māndhātṛsaṃjñite | gatvā snātvā tapayitvā pitḥnviṣṇupuraṃ nayet

Translation

श्री मार्कण्डेय म्हणाले—करा व नर्मदा यांच्या संगमस्थानी, मान्धातृ नामक नगरीत जाऊन, स्नान करून व तप आचरून, मनुष्याने पितरांना विष्णुलोकास नेावे।

Word by Word

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

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

• सङ्गमः: confluence
• सङ्गमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर-नर्मदयोः: of (the rivers) Karā and Narmadā
• कर-नर्मदयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर + नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग(नर्मदा) + पुं/स्त्री(कर-नदीनाम), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन (Dual)

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मान्धातृ-संज्ञिते: named ‘Māndhātṛ’
• मान्धातृ-संज्ञिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्धातृ + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; संज्ञा + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• तपयित्वा: having performed austerity / having caused (oneself) to practice tapas
• तपयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तप् (धातु; णिच् causative)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विष्णु-पुरम्: Viṣṇu’s city (Viṣṇupura)
• विष्णु-पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + पुर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नयेत्: should lead / should take
• नयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kara–Revā (Narmadā) Saṅgama at Māndhātṛ

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a river confluence near a sacred town, a pilgrim performs snāna and pitṛ-tarpaṇa with kuśa and water, while sages witness; the meeting waters are emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kara (river)
• Narmadā
• Māndhātṛ (city)
• Viṣṇu
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a confluence tīrtha, joined with bathing and tapas, is portrayed as especially potent for ancestral welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kara–Narmadā Saṅgama at Māndhātṛpura (Māndhātṛ-sañjñita pura).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go to the saṅgama, perform snāna (ritual bathing), undertake tapas, and perform pitṛ-oriented rites aimed at elevating ancestors.