Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महाराज पिङ्गलावर्तमुत्तमम् । सङ्गमस्य समीपस्थं रेवाया उत्तरे तटे । हव्यवाहेन राजेन्द्र स्थापितः पिङ्गलेश्वरः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahārāja piṅgalāvartamuttamam | saṅgamasya samīpasthaṃ revāyā uttare taṭe | havyavāhena rājendra sthāpitaḥ piṅgaleśvaraḥ

Translation

ଶ୍ରୀ ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ କହିଲେ—ତାପରେ, ହେ ମହାରାଜ, ସଙ୍ଗମର ସମୀପରେ ରେବା ନଦୀର ଉତ୍ତର ତଟରେ ଥିବା ଉତ୍ତମ ପିଙ୍ଗଲାବର୍ତ୍ତକୁ ଯିବା ଉଚିତ। ହେ ରାଜେନ୍ଦ୍ର, ସେଠାରେ ହବ୍ୟବାହନ (ଅଗ୍ନି) ପିଙ୍ଗଲେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କୁ ସ୍ଥାପନ କରିଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• śrīmārkaṇḍeyaḥ: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• śrīmārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—श्री (उपपद/विशेषण) + मार्कण्डेय (कर्मधारय)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (ततः अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनन्तरबोधक (adverb: then/thereafter)

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आज्ञार्थे/विधौ

• mahārāja: O great king
• mahārāja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahārāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; समासः—महा + राजा (कर्मधारय)

• piṅgalāvartam: to Piṅgalāvarta (place)
• piṅgalāvartam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṅgala + āvarta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—पिङ्गलस्य आवर्तः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying piṅgalāvartam)

• saṅgamasya: of the confluence
• saṅgamasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• samīpastham: situated near
• samīpastham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samīpa + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—समीपे स्थितम् (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• revāyāḥ: of the Revā (Narmadā)
• revāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• uttare: on the northern
• uttare: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘taṭe’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• taṭe: bank
• taṭe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• havyavāhena: by Havyavāha (Agni)
• havyavāhena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havyavāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समासः—हव्यं वहति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयप्रायः), अग्निः

• rājendra: O king of kings
• rājendra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājendra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; समासः—राज्ञां इन्द्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• sthāpitaḥ: was established
• sthāpitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु) + ṇic (णिच्) → sthāpaya + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘was established’

• piṅgaleśvaraḥ: Piṅgaleśvara (Śiva)
• piṅgaleśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṅgala + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—पिङ्गलस्य ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piṅgalāvarta / Piṅgaleśvara-tīrtha

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya points the way to a river bend near a confluence; the Revā flows broad and calm; on the northern bank stands a small shrine with a liṅga labeled Piṅgaleśvara; Agni’s presence is suggested as a subtle flame aura near the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Saṅgama (confluence)
• Piṅgalāvarta
• Piṅgaleśvara
• Havyavāhana (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is anchored in divine acts—Śiva’s presence is authenticated through an origin story (installation) tied to a deity like Agni.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Piṅgalāvarta near the saṅgama on the north bank of the Revā (Narmadā), featuring Piṅgaleśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage injunction: ‘one should go’ (gacchet) to Piṅgalāvarta—implying darśana, worship, and customary tīrtha practices.