Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल नर्मदेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तत्र तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषैः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahīpāla narmadeśvaramuttamam | tatra tīrthe naraḥ snātvā mucyate sarvakilbiṣaiḥ

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ต่อจากนั้น โอ้ผู้พิทักษ์แผ่นดิน พึงไปยังนรมเทศวรอันประเสริฐ ครั้นอาบน้ำชำระในตีรถะนั้นแล้ว บุคคลย่อมพ้นจากบาปทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मार्कण्डेय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण-पूर्वपदेन (श्री) युक्तः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महीपाल: O king
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक; मही + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• नर्मदेश्वरम्: Narmadeśvara (Lord of Narmadā)
• नर्मदेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; नर्मदा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नर्मदेश्वरम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (there)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive: is released)

• सर्वकिल्बिषैः: from all sins
• सर्वकिल्बिषैः: Apadana/Hetu (अपादान/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + किल्बिष)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण/हेतु-भावे (from/by all sins)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king addressed by sage Mārkaṇḍeya; in the background the Narmadā flows with a Śiva-liṅga shrine labeled Narmadeśvara; devotees bathing at a ghat.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadeśvara
• Revā/Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a divinely charged place with faith—especially through tīrtha-bathing—is presented as a direct means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadeśvara, an eminent tīrtha associated with the Narmadā (Revā) in Revākhaṇḍa Adhyāya 124.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage to Narmadeśvara and snāna (bathing) at its tīrtha for removal of sins.