Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेद्धराधीश कोटितीर्थमनुत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धा महाभागाः कोटिसंख्या महर्षयः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gaccheddharādhīśa koṭitīrthamanuttamam | yatra siddhā mahābhāgāḥ koṭisaṃkhyā maharṣayaḥ

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya bersabda: “Kemudian, wahai penguasa bumi, hendaklah engkau pergi ke Koṭitīrtha yang tiada bandingan, tempat para siddha yang mulia serta para mahārṣi berjumlah krore bersemayam.”

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘thereafter/from there’

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

• धराधीश: O lord of the earth (king)
• धराधीश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धरायाः अधीशः)

• कोटितीर्थम्: the Koṭitīrtha (sacred ford)
• कोटितीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोटीनां तीर्थम्)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed; excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying कोटितीर्थम्)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-स्थानवाचक (relative adverb of place)

• सिद्धाः: Siddhas (perfected beings)
• सिद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• महाभागाः: greatly fortunate; illustrious
• महाभागाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (qualifying सिद्धाः/महर्षयः)

• कोटिसंख्याः: numbering a crore; countless
• कोटिसंख्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (qualifying महर्षयः); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोटिः संख्या यस्य)

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly pilgrim is directed by Mārkaṇḍeya toward Koṭitīrtha; the riverbank glows with ascetics, siddhas, and countless ṛṣis seated in meditation beneath trees and on rock outcrops.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Koṭitīrtha
• Siddhas
• Maharṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is portrayed as entering the spiritual company of siddhas and maharṣis, uplifting the seeker through sacred association.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha, described as unsurpassed and inhabited (in sanctity) by countless perfected sages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription here is the act of going (tīrtha-yātrā) to Koṭitīrtha; detailed rites follow in subsequent verses.