Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । तस्यैवानन्तरं राजन्नन्दितीर्थं व्रजेच्छुभम् । सर्वपापहरं पुंसां नन्दिना निर्मितं पुरा

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tasyaivānantaraṃ rājannanditīrthaṃ vrajecchubham | sarvapāpaharaṃ puṃsāṃ nandinā nirmitaṃ purā

Translation

ศรีมารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: ต่อจากนั้น ข้าแต่พระราชา พึงไปสู่นันทิตีรถะอันเป็นมงคล ผู้ขจัดบาปทั้งปวงของมนุษย์ ซึ่งนันทินได้สถาปนาไว้แต่กาลก่อน

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of that/thereafter of it
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: None (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् अव्यय; कालवाचक (immediately after)

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

• नन्दितीर्थम्: the Nandi-tīrtha (sacred ford)
• नन्दितीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नन्देः/नन्दिना सम्बन्धि तीर्थम्)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नन्दितीर्थम्)

• सर्वपापहरम्: remover of all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां हरम्)

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• नन्दिना: by Nandin
• नन्दिना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• निर्मितम्: made/constructed
• निर्मितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-√मा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nanditīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya instructs the king to proceed next to Nanditīrtha; the tīrtha is shown as a sanctified riverbank with a subtle presence of Nandin (Śiva’s bull/attendant) indicating ancient establishment and Śaiva protection.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Nandin
• Nanditīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a sanctified tīrtha founded by Śiva’s attendant Nandin is praised as a powerful means of sin-removal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nanditīrtha, an auspicious tīrtha associated with Nandin, in the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The instruction is to proceed/visit (vrajet) the tīrtha; detailed rites follow in subsequent verses.