Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । नष्टे लोके पुनश्चान्ये सलिलेन समावृते । महार्णवस्य मध्यस्थो बाहुभ्यामतरं जलम्

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | naṣṭe loke punaścānye salilena samāvṛte | mahārṇavasya madhyastho bāhubhyāmataraṃ jalam

Translation

ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ କହିଲେ—ଲୋକ ନଷ୍ଟ ହୋଇ, ପୁନର୍ବାର ସମସ୍ତ ଦିଗ ଜଳରେ ଆବୃତ ହେଲାବେଳେ, ମୁଁ ମହାସାଗରର ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଥିଲି ଏବଂ ଭୁଜାଦ୍ୱାରା ଜଳକୁ ଚିରି ସେତୁ ହୋଇ ତେରୁଥିଲି।

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• नष्टे: when (it was) destroyed
• नष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘नष्टे (सति)’—सप्तमी-absolute

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

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (again)

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

• अन्ये: in another (state/time)
• अन्ये: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अन्ये (सति)’—सप्तमी-absolute (in another [time/state])

• सलिलेन: by water
• सलिलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समावृते: when (it was) covered/filled
• समावृते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘समावृते (सति)’—सप्तमी-absolute

• महा-अर्णवस्य: of the great ocean
• महा-अर्णवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; ‘महान् अर्णवः’

• मध्यस्थः: standing in the middle
• मध्यस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बाहुभ्याम्: with (my) two arms
• बाहुभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• अतरम्: I crossed
• अतरम्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अतृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahārṇava (cosmic ocean) as saṃsāra-metaphor

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpottama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya alone in the middle of the boundless cosmic ocean after the world’s destruction, swimming with his arms through endless waters under a dim, dissolution sky.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Mahārṇava (cosmic ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse sets a Purāṇic frame of pralaya (dissolution), highlighting human frailty and the need for divine refuge amid cosmic upheaval.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the scene is cosmic (the great ocean during pralaya), serving as a theological backdrop rather than a geographic praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is narrative description preparing for a revelation.