Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तत्र तस्य समीपस्थं मार्कंडेनोपलक्षितम् । तीर्थं गोवत्ससंज्ञं तु सर्वत्र भुवि संश्रुतम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tatra tasya samīpasthaṃ mārkaṃḍenopalakṣitam | tīrthaṃ govatsasaṃjñaṃ tu sarvatra bhuvi saṃśrutam

Translation

Sūta berkata: Dekat tempat itu ada sebuah tīrtha suci yang dikenal oleh Markaṇḍeya, bernama ‘Govatsa-tīrtha’, masyhur di seluruh dunia.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st), एकवचन

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक adverb)

• तस्य: of him; of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• समीपस्थम्: situated nearby
• समीपस्थम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समीपे स्थितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• मार्कण्डेन: by Mārkaṇḍa (Mārkaṇḍeya)
• मार्कण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• उपलक्षितम्: marked; indicated
• उपलक्षितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-लक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford; pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• गोवत्ससंज्ञम्: named ‘Govatsa’
• गोवत्ससंज्ञम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोवत्स (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गोवत्स-नामक); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अवधारण particle)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (व्याप्तिवाचक adverb)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• संश्रुतम्: well-known; renowned
• संश्रुतम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Govatsa-tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied Sūta-saṃhitā frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates to an audience; the landscape shifts to a nearby ford labeled ‘Govatsa-tīrtha’, with Markaṇḍeya indicated as the sage who recognized/marked it—perhaps pointing to the waters or placing a sign of sanctification.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Markaṇḍeya
• Govatsa-tīrtha
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma ties sanctity to place: a tīrtha becomes authoritative through recognition by revered seers and long-standing renown.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Govatsa-tīrtha, a sacred ford near the Dharmāraṇya setting, identified by the sage Markaṇḍeya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated in this verse; it introduces the tīrtha’s identity and fame as groundwork for subsequent practices.