Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले नागतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धा महानागा भये जाते ततो नृप

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle nāgatīrthamanuttamam | yatra siddhā mahānāgā bhaye jāte tato nṛpa

Translation

శ్రీ మార్కండేయుడు పలికెను—నర్మదా దక్షిణ తీరంలో అనుత్తమమైన నాగతీర్థం ఉంది; అక్కడ సిద్ధులైన మహానాగులు, ఓ రాజా, భయం కలిగినప్పుడు (ఆశ్రయించు/చర్యచేయు) స్థలమది.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• नर्मदा: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘नर्मदायाः’ (in compound/elliptic usage)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कूले: bank
• कूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नागतीर्थम्: Nāga-tīrtha (serpent sacred place)
• नागतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative locative adverb: ‘where’)

• सिद्धाः: the Siddhas (perfected beings)
• सिद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• महानागाः: great nāgas (serpent beings)
• महानागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भये: in fear
• भये: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जाते: having arisen (when it arose)
• जाते: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal circumstance/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘भये जाते’ = ‘when fear had arisen’

• ततः: from there/thereupon
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: ‘from there/thereupon’)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgatīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: O king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Riverside Nāgatīrtha: luminous great nāgas with jeweled hoods emerge near a ghat or under a sacred tree; siddhas stand in the background; an atmosphere of protective awe as fear arises and is quelled.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā
• Nāgatīrtha
• Mahānāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites are introduced through mythic memory: the tīrtha’s power is tied to extraordinary events involving divine beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgatīrtha on the southern bank of the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this introductory verse; it sets the narrative context for the tīrtha.