Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । तस्यैवानन्तरं राजन्नाश्विनं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । कामिकं सर्वतीर्थानां प्राणिनां सिद्धिदायकम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tasyaivānantaraṃ rājannāśvinaṃ tīrthamuttamam | kāmikaṃ sarvatīrthānāṃ prāṇināṃ siddhidāyakam

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: “ข้าแต่มหาราช ถัดจากนั้นโดยทันที มีตีรถะอันประเสริฐชื่อว่า อาศวินะ เป็นที่รักยิ่งในหมู่ตีรถะทั้งปวง และประทานสิทธิ (siddhi) แก่สรรพชีวิต”

Word by Word

• श्री-मार्कण्डेयः: the revered Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्री-मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (उपपद/आदरसूचक) + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of that/of it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative), क्रमवाचक (immediately after)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• आश्विनम्: Āśvina (named)
• आश्विनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्विन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (tīrtham इत्यस्य)

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (tīrtham इत्यस्य)

• कामिकम्: wish-fulfilling/desirable
• कामिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (tīrtham इत्यस्य)

• सर्व-तीर्थानाम्: of all sacred places
• सर्व-तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां तीर्थानाम्)

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सिद्धि-दायकम्: granting success/attainment
• सिद्धि-दायकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (सिद्धिं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āśvina Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a seated king, gesturing toward a map-like river pilgrimage route; in the distance a luminous ford labeled ‘Āśvina’ glows, with pilgrims approaching in orderly procession.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• King (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied by dialogue context)
• Āśvina Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma elevates tīrtha-yātrā as a means of inner and outer purification, promising ‘siddhi’ through reverent approach to sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Āśvina Tīrtha, introduced as an ‘uttama tīrtha’ within the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed yet; the verse introduces the tīrtha and its fruit (siddhi).