Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । कामधेनुस्तपस्तत्र पुरा पार्थ चकार ह । ध्यायते परया भक्त्या देवदेवं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | kāmadhenustapastatra purā pārtha cakāra ha | dhyāyate parayā bhaktyā devadevaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

श्री मार्कण्डेय म्हणाले—हे पार्थ! पूर्वी त्या स्थानी कामधेनूने तप केले आणि पराभक्तीने देवदेव महेश्वराचे ध्यान केले।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कामधेनुः: Kāmadhenu (the wish-fulfilling cow)
• कामधेनुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामधेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चकार: performed/did
• चकार: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ह: indeed (narrative particle)
• ह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle, narrative emphasis)

• ध्यायते: meditates (on)
• ध्यायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भक्ति-विशेषण

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देव-देवम्: the God of gods
• देव-देवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'god of gods')

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवदेवस्य विशेष्य/नाम

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopāreśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāmadhenu stands or kneels in an ascetic posture near the Narmadā, eyes half-closed in meditation; a subtle vision of Maheśvara appears—matted hair, crescent moon, trident—signifying the object of her parā-bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kāmadhenu (Surabhī)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion joined with austerity draws divine presence and sanctifies a place into a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The locale that becomes Gopāreśvara Tīrtha on the Narmadā’s southern bank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) and meditative worship (dhyāna-bhakti) of Maheśvara are highlighted.