Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । गोपेश्वरं ततो गच्छेदुत्तरे नर्मदातटे । यत्र स्नानेन चैकेन मुच्यन्ते पातकैर्नराः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | gopeśvaraṃ tato gaccheduttare narmadātaṭe | yatra snānena caikena mucyante pātakairnarāḥ

Translation

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच—ततो नर्मदातटस्योत्तरे गोपेश्वरं गच्छेत्; यत्रैकस्नानेनैव नराः पातकैर्मुच्यन्ते।

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• गोपेश्वरम्: Gopeśvara (name of Śiva/temple)
• गोपेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• उत्तरे: on the northern (side)
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नर्मदातटे)

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

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्धबोधक-स्थानवाचक (relative adverb of place)

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एकेन: with a single (bath)
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्नानेन)

• मुच्यन्ते: are freed
• मुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• पातकैः: from sins
• पातकैः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; अपादानार्थे (from sins)

• नराः: men; people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (a king; addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya instructs a king; in the background the Narmadā flows north-bank foreground with pilgrims bathing near a Śiva-liṅga shrine labeled Gopeśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Gopeśvara
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is spiritually transformative: sincere pilgrimage and tīrtha-bathing are presented as powerful means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopeśvara tīrtha, located on the northern bank of the river Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bath) at Gopeśvara; even a single bath is said to remove sins.