Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । निर्दग्धेऽस्मिंस्ततो लोके सूर्यैरीश्वरसम्भवैः । सप्तभिश्चार्णवैः शुष्कैर्द्वीपैः सप्तभिरेव च

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | nirdagdhe'smiṃstato loke sūryairīśvarasambhavaiḥ | saptabhiścārṇavaiḥ śuṣkairdvīpaiḥ saptabhireva ca

Translation

ଶ୍ରୀ ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ କହିଲେ—ଯେତେବେଳେ ଏହି ଲୋକ ଈଶ୍ୱରସମ୍ଭବ ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଦଗ୍ଧ ହେଲା, ଏବଂ ସାତ ସମୁଦ୍ର ଓ ସାତ ଦ୍ୱୀପ ମଧ୍ୟ ଶୁଷ୍କ ହୋଇଗଲା।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः

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

• निर्दग्धे: when (it was) burnt
• निर्दग्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दग्ध (दह् धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय; (when) burnt

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/from that)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सूर्यैः: by suns
• सूर्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ईश्वरसम्भवैः: born of Īśvara
• ईश्वरसम्भवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईश्वर + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ईश्वरात् सम्भवाः (arisen from the Lord)

• सप्तभिः: with seven
• सप्तभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तन् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अर्णवैः: by oceans
• अर्णवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शुष्कैः: dry
• शुष्कैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• द्वीपैः: by continents/islands
• द्वीपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सप्तभिः: with seven
• सप्तभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तन् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Śrī Markaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kingly interlocutor (continuation from prior address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scorched, emptied cosmos: multiple blazing suns in the sky; oceans reduced to cracked basins; the seven dvīpa-s shown as concentric land-rings, all desiccated—an austere cosmic diagram turned into narrative art.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Seven suns
• Seven oceans (sapta-arṇava)
• Seven continents (sapta-dvīpa)
• Pralaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All created realms—even the vast cosmic structures—are impermanent; only devotion to the Lord and refuge in dharma endure beyond dissolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is the Revā (Narmadā) Māhātmya, though this verse itself focuses on pralaya cosmology rather than a single tīrtha spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is prescribed here; it sets the cosmological backdrop for understanding the exceptional merit of sacred tīrthas like Revā.