Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । अतः परं महाराज गच्छेत्केदारसंज्ञकम् । यत्र गत्वा महाराज श्राद्धं कृत्वा पिबेज्जलम् । सम्पूज्य देवदेवेशं केदारोत्थं फलं लभेत्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | ataḥ paraṃ mahārāja gacchetkedārasaṃjñakam | yatra gatvā mahārāja śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā pibejjalam | sampūjya devadeveśaṃ kedārotthaṃ phalaṃ labhet

Translation

Шри Маркандея сказал: Затем, о великий царь, следует отправиться в место, именуемое Кедара. Придя туда, о царь, совершив шраддху и испив святой воды, и должным образом почтив Владыку владык, обретают плод, исходящий от тиртхи Кедары.

Word by Word

• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणपूर्वपद-समास (honorific epithet)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात् (therefore)

• param: next; further
• param: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• mahā-rāja: O great king
• mahā-rāja: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kedāra-saṃjñakam: (a place) called Kedāra
• kedāra-saṃjñakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kedāra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjñaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘केदार’ इति संज्ञा यस्य (named Kedāra)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• mahā-rāja: O great king
• mahā-rāja: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having performed
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• pibet: should drink
• pibet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• sampūjya: having duly worshipped
• sampūjya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); उपसर्ग: सम्

• deva-deveśam: the Lord of the gods
• deva-deveśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: देवानां ईशः (lord of gods)

• kedāra-uttham: arising from Kedāra
• kedāra-uttham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kedāra (प्रातिपदिक) + uttha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘केदारात् उत्पन्नम्’ (arisen from Kedāra)

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Revā/Narmadā Kedāra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly pilgrim arrives at a riverside Kedāra shrine; priests perform śrāddha near the Narmadā; the pilgrim sips tīrtha-water and offers bilva, flowers, and lamps to a Śiva-liṅga titled Devadeveśa.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kedāra
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Devadeveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage joined with śrāddha and sincere worship transforms travel into dharma, yielding the tīrtha’s distinct spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, a Revā/Narmadā-associated tīrtha praised for śrāddha, sacred water, and worship of Devadeveśa (Śiva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go to Kedāra, perform śrāddha, drink the tīrtha-water, and worship Devadeveśa (Śiva) with due offerings.