Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततस्त्वेकार्णवे तस्मिन्मुमूर्षुरहमातुरः । काकूच्छ्वासस्तरंस्तोयं बाहुभ्यां नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tatastvekārṇave tasminmumūrṣurahamāturaḥ | kākūcchvāsastaraṃstoyaṃ bāhubhyāṃ nṛpasattama

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ครั้นแล้วในมหาสมุทรอันเดียวนั้น ข้าพเจ้าทุกข์ร้อนและใกล้ความตาย ลอยอยู่เหนือสายน้ำ—หอบหายใจ วิงวอนคร่ำครวญ ว่ายด้วยสองแขน โอพระราชาผู้ประเสริฐ

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• एकार्णवे: in the single ocean (cosmic flood)
• एकार्णवे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (एकः अर्णवः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that (ocean)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• मुमूर्षुः: desiring to die
• मुमूर्षुः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह् (धातु) → मुमूर्षु (कृदन्त)
• Form: सन्नन्त/इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (desiderative adjective) ‘मुमूर्षु’ = मरणे इच्छुकः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आतुरः: distressed; afflicted
• आतुरः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• काकूच्छ्वासः: with sobbing breaths
• काकूच्छ्वासः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकू (प्रातिपदिक) + श्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काक्वाः श्वासः = sobbing breath); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तरन्: crossing; swimming across
• तरन्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तॄ (धातु) → तरत्/तरन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• बाहुभ्याम्: with (my) two arms
• बाहुभ्याम्: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), द्विवचन

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां सत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Eka-arṇava (symbolic) / Revā narrative contrast

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, exhausted, half-submerged, paddling with both arms in a vast dark ocean; his face shows pleading breath and near-collapse; the horizon is empty, emphasizing isolation.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human strength reaches its limit in calamity, preparing the seeker for divine dependence and the unfolding of grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is a cosmic-ocean narrative scene; it does not praise a particular tīrtha in its wording.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it narrates the condition of the speaker before the ensuing vision.