Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्परं तीर्थं सङ्गमेश्वरमुत्तमम् । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले सर्वपापभयापहम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchetparaṃ tīrthaṃ saṅgameśvaramuttamam | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle sarvapāpabhayāpaham

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya bersabda: Kemudian hendaklah seseorang pergi ke tīrtha yang tertinggi, Saṅgameśvara yang utama, di tebing selatan Sungai Narmadā—penghapus segala dosa dan ketakutan.

Word by Word

• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘śrī’ as honorific qualifier

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 3rd person singular perfect active

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla/Deśa (Time/Place adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/क्रमवाचक — adverb ‘then/from there’

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 3rd person singular optative active

• param: next, further
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; qualifying tīrtham

• tīrtham: sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• saṅgameśvaram: Saṅgameśvara
• saṅgameśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅgama (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; ‘Lord of the confluence’

• uttamam: excellent, supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; qualifying saṅgameśvaram

• narmadā-dakṣiṇe: on the southern (side) of the Narmadā
• narmadā-dakṣiṇe: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक) + dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; qualifying kūle: ‘on the southern (bank) of Narmadā’

• kūle: on the bank
• kūle: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• sarva-pāpa-bhaya-apaham: removing all sin and fear
• sarva-pāpa-bhaya-apaham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + apaha (अप-हृ/हन्-धातु-सम्भव प्रातिपदिक ‘removing’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; qualifying tīrtham/saṅgameśvaram: ‘remover of all sin and fear’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṅgameśvara

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A royal interlocutor / yātrā-seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya points the way as pilgrims approach Saṅgameśvara on Narmadā’s southern bank; a confluence is visible; a Śiva-linga/Īśvara shrine stands near the ghāṭ; the atmosphere conveys cleansing and safety.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Saṅgameśvara
• Narmadā (Revā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a divinely charged confluence-shrine is praised as a means to dissolve sin and fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Saṅgameśvara Tīrtha, situated on the southern bank of the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is pilgrimage (gacchet) to Saṅgameśvara; implied are standard tīrtha observances like darśana and reverence.