Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र पिप्पलेश्वरमुत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धो महायोगी पिप्पलादो महातपाः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra pippaleśvaramuttamam | yatra siddho mahāyogī pippalādo mahātapāḥ

Translation

శ్రీ మార్కండేయుడు పలికెను—ఆపై, ఓ రాజేంద్రా, ఉత్తమమైన పిప్పలేశ్వరానికి వెళ్లవలెను; అక్కడ సిద్ధుడైన మహాయోగి, మహాతపస్వి పిప్పలాదుడు నివసిస్తాడు.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate—injunction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• पिप्पलेश्वरम्: to Pippaleśvara
• पिप्पलेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object—destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (destination)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पिप्पलेश्वरम्)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location—relative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• सिद्धः: accomplished/perfected
• सिद्धः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सिध् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• महायोगी: the great yogin
• महायोगी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पिप्पलादः: Pippalāda
• पिप्पलादः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पलाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महातपाः: of great austerity
• महातपाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पिप्पलादः/महायोगी)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pippaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya instructs the king: ‘Go to Pippaleśvara.’ In the background, a Śiva-liṅga shrine beneath/near a sacred pippala (aśvattha) tree; the yogin Pippalāda sits in meditation, matted hair, radiant with tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Rājendra (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Pippaleśvara
• Pippalāda
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to Śiva-tīrthas is praised as a dharmic path guided by sages and sanctified by siddhas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pippaleśvara—an eminent Śiva-tīrtha introduced in Revā Khaṇḍa, Adhyāya 42.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gacchet—one is enjoined to visit (undertake tīrtha-yātrā to) Pippaleśvara.