Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । कथितं ब्राह्मणं द्रष्टुं शूले क्षिप्तं तपोधनैः । नारायणसमीपे तु गताः सर्वे महर्षयः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | kathitaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ draṣṭuṃ śūle kṣiptaṃ tapodhanaiḥ | nārāyaṇasamīpe tu gatāḥ sarve maharṣayaḥ

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ครั้นได้ยินเรื่องพราหมณ์ผู้ถูกเสียบไว้บนหลาวแล้ว เหล่ามหาฤษีผู้มั่งคั่งด้วยตบะทั้งปวงก็พากันไปยังสำนักของนารายณะเพื่อทอดพระเนตรเขา

Word by Word

• श्री-मार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्री-मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (उपपद/प्रातिपदिक) + mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कथितम्: spoken of
• कथितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kath (धातु) → kathita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; अत्र ‘ब्राह्मणम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (told/mentioned)

• ब्राह्मणम्: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभावः (infinitive)

• शूले: on a stake/spear
• शूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• क्षिप्तम्: thrown/impaled
• क्षिप्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṣip (धातु) → kṣipta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ब्राह्मणम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तपो-धनैः: by the ascetics
• तपो-धनैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (‘whose wealth is austerity’ = ascetics)

• नारायण-समीपे: near Nārāyaṇa
• नारायण-समीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + samīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नारायणस्य समीपे)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्ययम् (but/indeed)

• गताः: went
• गताः: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) → gata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘सर्वे महर्षयः’ इत्यस्य विधेयम् (having gone)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārāyaṇa-sannidhi (generic)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implied continuation of address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of austere sages, matted hair and deer-skins, moving toward a radiant Nārāyaṇa; in the background, the image of a brāhmaṇa cast upon a stake motivates their journey.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is violated, the wise seek divine counsel; tapas and compassion together move the narrative toward restoration of justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse centers on approaching Nārāyaṇa rather than praising a tīrtha; the broader Revā Khaṇḍa remains the geographic-spiritual frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the sages’ journey and consultation.