Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । अयोनिजं महापुण्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchettu rājendra tīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam | ayonijaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam

Translation

พระศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ต่อจากนั้น โอ้พระราชาผู้ประเสริฐ พึงไปยังทิรถะอันงดงามยิ่งชื่อ ‘อโยนิจา’ อันมีบุญใหญ่ และทำลายบาปทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; उपाधि-पूर्वपद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

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

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परमशोभनम्: supremely beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (परमं शोभनम्)

• अयोनिजम्: not born from a womb; unoriginated
• अयोनिजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + योनिज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्

• महापुण्यम्: greatly meritorious
• महापुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महत् पुण्यम्)

• सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + प्रणाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां प्रणाशनम्)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayonija

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya instructs a king on the next stage of a river-pilgrimage; the river ford gleams, with pilgrims approaching under sacred trees.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Ayonija Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a sanctified tīrtha is framed as a dharmic remedy—Ayonija is praised as especially purifying and sin-destroying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayonija Tīrtha, a revered site within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct injunction to visit (pilgrimage) the tīrtha; subsequent verses specify bathing and worship.