Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । भूतीश्वरं ततो गच्छेत्सर्वतीर्थेष्वनुत्तमम् । दर्शनादेव राजेन्द्र यस्य पापं प्रणश्यति

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | bhūtīśvaraṃ tato gacchetsarvatīrtheṣvanuttamam | darśanādeva rājendra yasya pāpaṃ praṇaśyati

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya bersabda: “Kemudian hendaklah seseorang pergi ke Bhūtīśvara—tiada bandingan antara segala tīrtha. Wahai raja, hanya dengan darśana (tatapan suci) sahaja, dosa seseorang pun lenyap.”

Word by Word

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

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

• भूतीश्वरम्: Bhūtīśvara (a sacred lord/place)
• भूतीश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—भूति + ईश्वर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/सम्बन्ध)

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: among all sacred places
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः—सर्व + तीर्थ (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, best
• अनुत्तमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying भूतīश्वरम्)

• दर्शनात्: from (mere) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन (ablative singular)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; समासः—राज्ञाम् + इन्द्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रणश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• प्रणश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhūtīśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, radiant and aged, points the way to a Śaiva shrine named Bhūtīśvara on the Revā’s bank; a king listens, while pilgrims approach for darśana; a subtle aura indicates sins dissolving.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Bhūtīśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere pilgrimage and darśana at a praised Śaiva tīrtha are presented as powerful means for pāpa-kṣaya (destruction of sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhūtīśvara tīrtha, celebrated in the Revā-khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage (going to the site) and darśana (taking holy sight) are highlighted as the key observances.