Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । सर्वदेवमयो विष्णुर्गावो विष्णुशरीरजाः । देवास्तदुभयात्तस्मात्कल्पिता विविधा जनैः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sarvadevamayo viṣṇurgāvo viṣṇuśarīrajāḥ | devāstadubhayāttasmātkalpitā vividhā janaiḥ

Translation

ଶ୍ରୀ ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ କହିଲେ—‘ବିଷ୍ଣୁ ସର୍ବଦେବମୟ, ଏବଂ ଗୋମାନେ ବିଷ୍ଣୁଙ୍କ ଶରୀରରୁ ଜନ୍ମିତ। ତେଣୁ ଏହି ଦୁଇ ସତ୍ୟରୁ ଲୋକେ ବିଭିନ୍ନ ଭାବେ ଗୋରେ ଦେବତାଙ୍କ ସାନ୍ନିଧ୍ୟ କଳ୍ପନା କରନ୍ତି।’

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सर्वदेवमयः: consisting of all gods
• सर्वदेवमयः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वदेवैः मयः)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गावः: cows
• गावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• विष्णुशरीरजाः: born from Viṣṇu’s body
• विष्णुशरीरजाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः शरीरात् जाताः)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• उभयात्: from both (of them)
• उभयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कल्पिताः: were conceived/arranged
• कल्पिताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कॢप् (धातु) → कल्पित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• जनैः: by people
• जनैः: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Go (as Viṣṇu-śarīra-jā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya explains while a visionary tableau shows Viṣṇu as a cosmic form containing many devas; from Viṣṇu’s body emerges a radiant cow, symbolizing ‘Viṣṇu-śarīra-jā’.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Viṣṇu
• Devas
• Cows

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for the cow is grounded in sacred origin: if Viṣṇu embodies all gods and cows arise from him, then honoring cows aligns with honoring the divine totality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha; this is doctrinal framing within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s merit-centered narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it provides the theological justification for Gau-related dharmic practices (service, charity, purity).