Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततोऽसौ त्वरितो विन्ध्यं नागो गत्वा नगं शुभम् । तपस्तप्तुं समारेभे शङ्कराराधनोद्यतः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato'sau tvarito vindhyaṃ nāgo gatvā nagaṃ śubham | tapastaptuṃ samārebhe śaṅkarārādhanodyataḥ

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: “Kemudian nāga itu segera bergegas ke Vindhya; setelah tiba di gunung yang mulia itu, ia mulai bertapa, dengan tekad memuja dan menyenangkan Śaṅkara.”

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: then)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• त्वरितः: hastened/quick
• त्वरितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित (प्रातिपदिक; त्वर् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (nom. sg.)

• विन्ध्यम्: Vindhya (mountain)
• विन्ध्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• नागः: the serpent
• नागः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): having gone

• नगम्: mountain
• नगम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (acc. sg.)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• तप्तुम्: to perform (penance)
• तप्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): to perform/undergo (austerity)

• समारेभे: began
• समारेभे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• शङ्कराराधनोद्यतः: intent on worshipping Śaṅkara
• शङ्कराराधनोद्यतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्कर-आराधन-उद्यत (प्रातिपदिक; उद्+यम् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (nom. sg.)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vindhya-tapas-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary listener not specified in provided excerpt (likely a sage/assembly in frame narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The nāga, newly resolved, travels swiftly toward the Vindhya; the mountain appears verdant and auspicious, with hermitages and Śiva symbols; he begins austerities with focused posture.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Vindhya
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Nāga (serpent/Vāsuki)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere resolve (udyama) and disciplined austerity are shown as practical steps toward divine favor and inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vindhya mountain is presented as an auspicious place for tapas, reinforcing sacred geography within the Āvantya/Revā milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practice of tapas aimed at Śiva’s worship (Śaṅkarārādhana) is described.