Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल रवितीर्थमनुत्तमम् । यत्र देवः सहस्रांशुस्तपस्तप्त्वा दिवं गतः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gacchenmahīpāla ravitīrthamanuttamam | yatra devaḥ sahasrāṃśustapastaptvā divaṃ gataḥ

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ต่อจากนั้น โอ้พระราชา พึงไปยังรวิ-ตีรถะอันหาที่เปรียบมิได้ ที่ซึ่งเทพสหัสรางศุ (พระอาทิตย์) ได้บำเพ็ญตบะแล้วบรรลุสู่แดนสวรรค์

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• 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

• रवितीर्थम्: Ravi-tīrtha (Sun’s sacred place)
• रवितीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; रवि + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; अ-न-उत्तम = unsurpassed)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रवितीर्थम्)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक (where)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• सहस्रांशुः: the thousand-rayed one (Sun)
• सहस्रांशुः: Apposition/Viśeṣya (विशेष्य; देवः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र-अंशु (प्रातिपदिक; सहस्र + अंशु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'यस्य सहस्रम् अंशवः सः' (the one with a thousand rays)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म (object of 'taptvā')

• तप्त्वा: having practiced (austerity)
• तप्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having performed austerity)

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक: दिव/द्यौ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• गतः: went, has gone
• गतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे (gone)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravi-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a riverbank tīrtha, the Sun-god Sahasrāṃśu stands or sits in austerity posture, rays forming a halo; Mārkaṇḍeya points the place out to the king; sunrise over the Revā with devotees offering arghya.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Sahasrāṃśu (Sūrya/Ravi)
• Ravi-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the Sun is portrayed as honoring tīrthas through tapas, teaching that pilgrimage and austerity sanctify and elevate the seeker.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ravi-tīrtha, an eminent pilgrimage spot associated with Sūrya (Ravi) within the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct prescription of pilgrimage: ‘one should go’ (gacchet) to Ravi-tīrtha; no further rite is specified in this verse.