Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । रेवाया उत्तरे कूले वैष्णवं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । जलशायीति वै नाम विख्यातं वसुधातले

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | revāyā uttare kūle vaiṣṇavaṃ tīrthamuttamam | jalaśāyīti vai nāma vikhyātaṃ vasudhātale

Translation

ଶ୍ରୀ ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ କହିଲେ—ରେବା ନଦୀର ଉତ୍ତର କୂଳରେ ଏକ ପରମ ଉତ୍ତମ ବୈଷ୍ଣବ ତୀର୍ଥ ଅଛି। ଏହା ‘ଜଳଶାୟୀ’ ନାମରେ ପୃଥିବୀରେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेय: revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेय: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• रेवायाः: of the Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• उत्तरे: on the northern
• उत्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कूले: bank
• कूले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण (तदर्थे)

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• जलशायी: Jalaśāyī (one who lies in water)
• जलशायी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + शायी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (जले शायी)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/सम्भावनार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; नाम-निर्देश

• विख्यातम्: well-known
• विख्यातम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• वसुधातले: on the earth’s surface
• वसुधातले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वसुधायाः तलम्)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jalaśāyī

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya narrates; the Revā flows broad and luminous; on the north bank stands a shrine or icon of Viṣṇu as Jalaśāyī—reclining upon waters/serpent couch—signifying the tīrtha’s name.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Viṣṇu
• Jalaśāyī Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is a form of devotion: knowing and honoring a tīrtha connected to Viṣṇu is itself meritorious and faith-strengthening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jalaśāyī, a renowned Vaiṣṇava tīrtha on the northern bank of the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it introduces the tīrtha’s location and fame.