Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । स दानवो वरं लब्ध्वा जगाम स्वपुरं प्रति । ददर्श स्वपुरं राजञ्छोभितं चित्रचत्वरैः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sa dānavo varaṃ labdhvā jagāma svapuraṃ prati | dadarśa svapuraṃ rājañchobhitaṃ citracatvaraiḥ

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ครั้นได้พรแล้ว อสูรนั้นก็ไปยังนครของตน โอ้พระราชา เขาเห็นนครของตนงามรุ่งเรืองด้วยลานและสี่แยกที่ประดับวิจิตร

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—श्री (उपपद/विशेषण) + मार्कण्डेयः (कर्मधारयः: ‘श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः’)

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दानवः: the demon (Dānava)
• दानवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verbal action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्√लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having obtained’

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वपुरम्: his own city
• स्वपुरम्: Karma (Goal/object of motion/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स्व (विशेषण) + पुरम् (कर्मधारयः: ‘स्वं पुरम्’)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Direction marker (गति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्गसदृश-निपातः, गत्यर्थे ‘towards’

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्√दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वपुरम्: his own city
• स्वपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स्व + पुरम्

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

• शोभितम्: adorned
• शोभितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √शुभ्/शोभ्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘adorned/beautified’ (स्वपुरम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• चित्रचत्वरैः: with beautiful squares/courtyards
• चित्रचत्वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + चत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—चित्र (विशेषण) + चत्वरैः (कर्मधारयः: ‘चित्राणि चत्वराणि’)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Dānava, returning from boon-receipt, approaches and beholds his city: broad avenues, decorated squares and crossroads, banners and architectural splendor.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Dānava
• Andhaka (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Boons (vara) gained through extraordinary means still bind one to the fruits of one’s past actions; the Purāṇic narrative frames worldly splendor as transient compared to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred region) of the Āvantya Khaṇḍa; this line itself describes a city scene rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative description.