Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । धर्मपुत्र महाबाहो शृणु सर्वं मयोदितम् । या सा वैतरणी नाम यमद्वारे महासरित्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | dharmaputra mahābāho śṛṇu sarvaṃ mayoditam | yā sā vaitaraṇī nāma yamadvāre mahāsarit

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ‘โอ บุตรแห่งธรรม ผู้มีพาหาอันเกรียงไกร จงฟังถ้อยคำทั้งปวงที่เรากล่าวเถิด มหานที ณ ประตูแห่งยมราชนั้น มีนามว่า ไวตระณี’

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• धर्मपुत्र: O son of Dharma
• धर्मपुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य पुत्रः)

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (महान्तौ बाहू यस्य)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• उदितम्: spoken/said
• उदितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + वद् (धातु) → उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्वम् इति)

• या: which (she)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• सा: that (she)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (correlative)

• वैतरणी: Vaitaraṇī (river)
• वैतरणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (proper noun)

• नाम: by name/called
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming particle/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), नामनिर्देश (called/named)

• यमद्वारे: at Yama's gate
• यमद्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य द्वारम्)

• महासरित्: the great river
• महासरित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती सरित्)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Markandeya begins his reply, addressing Dharmaputra as ‘son of Dharma’ and identifies the great river at Yama’s gate as Vaitaraṇī—setting a solemn, instructional tone.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Yama
• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authoritative transmission of dharma occurs through guru-like narration, where a sage clarifies the unseen consequences of conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse identifies an afterlife locus (Yamadvāra) rather than an earthly tīrtha; the surrounding chapter links earthly tīrtha acts to this outcome.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the explanation and names the river.