Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । तत्रैव तु भवेदन्यदादित्यस्य महात्मनः । कीर्तयामि नरश्रेष्ठ यदि ते श्रवणे मतिः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tatraiva tu bhavedanyadādityasya mahātmanaḥ | kīrtayāmi naraśreṣṭha yadi te śravaṇe matiḥ

Translation

శ్రీ మార్కండేయుడు పలికెను—ఓ నరశ్రేష్ఠా! అదే ప్రాంతములో మహాత్ముడైన ఆదిత్యుడు (సూర్యుడు) విషయమై మరొక పవిత్ర వృత్తాంతము ఉంది. నీ మనస్సు వినుటకు సిద్ధమైతే నేను దానిని కీర్తించెదను.

Word by Word

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

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• तु: but; and
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (conjunctive particle)

• भवेत्: may be; would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्यत्: another (matter/thing)
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदित्यस्य: of Āditya (the Sun)
• आदित्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled
• महात्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नकारान्त-प्रातिपदिक

• कीर्तयामि: I shall narrate; I proclaim
• कीर्तयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; कीर्तयति)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरश्रेष्ठ: O best of men
• नरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्रेष्ठो नरः)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conditional conjunction)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• श्रवणे: in hearing; in listening
• श्रवणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• मतिः: inclination; attention
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āditya-related tīrtha in the Revā region (unnamed here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya ṛṣi, seated in an āśrama near the river, announces a new episode: an Āditya-related sacred account in that very region; the royal listener sits respectfully.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Āditya (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening to sacred narratives (māhātmya-śravaṇa) is itself a dharmic act that opens access to deeper teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A new Sun-related sacred account is introduced in the same Revā-region context; the precise tīrtha is expected to be detailed in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (attentive hearing) is implied as the enabling practice for receiving the māhātmya.