Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र उत्तरे नर्मदातटे । सर्वपापहरं तीर्थं वाराहं नाम नामतः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra uttare narmadātaṭe | sarvapāpaharaṃ tīrthaṃ vārāhaṃ nāma nāmataḥ

Translation

Disse Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya: Então, ó melhor dos reis, vai à margem setentrional do Narmadā, ao tīrtha conhecido pelo nome de Vārāha, removedor de todos os pecados.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘श्री’ उपपद-विशेषणपूर्वक नाम

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

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (काल/क्रम-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘तदनन्तरम्/thereafter’

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; विधि/आदेशार्थ

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (वाक्य-सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) — ‘indeed/but’

• राजेन्द्र: O king-lord (best of kings)
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्तरे: on the northern (side)
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/स्थान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘तटे’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• नर्मदा-तटे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा-तटे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/स्थान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नर्मदायाः तटः)

• सर्व-पाप-हरम्: removing all sins
• सर्व-पाप-हरम्: Karma (कर्म/उद्देश्य-वस्तु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √हृ ‘हरति’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वाणि पापानि हरति)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म/गमन-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाराहम्: (called) Vārāha/boar-related
• वाराहम्: Karma (कर्म/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• नाम: named/called
• नाम: Sambandha (नाम-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निर्देशक निपात (quotative/‘called’)

• नामतः: by name
• नामतः: Sambandha (उपपद-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘नाम्ना/ by name’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāha-tīrtha (on Narmadā north bank)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra / nṛpa-sattama (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs a king: the Narmadā flowing broad and dark-green, a marked ford/ghāṭ on the northern bank with a Varāha emblem or shrine signifying ‘Vārāha-tīrtha’.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Vārāha Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage (tīrtha-yātrā) undertaken with faith is portrayed as a concrete dharmic means for purification from sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāha Tīrtha, located on the northern bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to go/undertake yātrā to Vārāha Tīrtha for purification.