Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले तीर्थं कोटीश्वरं परम् । यत्र स्नानं च दानं च सर्वं कोटिगुणं भवेत्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle tīrthaṃ koṭīśvaraṃ param | yatra snānaṃ ca dānaṃ ca sarvaṃ koṭiguṇaṃ bhavet

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ณ ฝั่งใต้แห่งแม่น้ำนรมทา มีทีรถะอันสูงสุดชื่อ “โกฏีศวร” ที่นั่นทั้งการอาบน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์และการให้ทาน—แท้จริงทุกการกระทำ—ย่อมทวีบุญเป็นโกฏิเท่า

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• नर्मदायाः: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: southern
• दक्षिणे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of कूले

• कूले: on the bank
• कूले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कोटीश्वरम्: (named) Koṭīśvara
• कोटीश्वरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Appositive/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तीर्थम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/नाम

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of तीर्थम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय (relative locative adverb: 'where')

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• दानम्: giving, donation
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (collective)

• कोटिगुणम्: a crore-fold, immensely multiplied
• कोटिगुणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि-गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of सर्वम्

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭīśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya ṛṣi teaching a king by the Narmadā’s southern bank, pointing toward a Koṭīśvara liṅga shrine; pilgrims bathe and give alms; a subtle visual motif of ‘koṭi’—many light-points—emanates from the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā
• Koṭīśvara Tīrtha
• Snāna
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Place matters in Purāṇic dharma: at exalted tīrthas, ordinary pious acts yield extraordinary, multiplied spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭīśvara Tīrtha on the southern bank of the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (sacred bathing) and dāna (charity) at Koṭīśvara for vastly multiplied merit.