Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तत्पुष्पमकरन्दस्य रसास्वादविदुत्तमः । भ्रमरः खलु मार्कण्डो मुनिर्मतिमतां वरः

Transliteration

tatpuṣpamakarandasya rasāsvādaviduttamaḥ | bhramaraḥ khalu mārkaṇḍo munirmatimatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

مارکنڈیہ مُنی—اہلِ بصیرت رِشیوں میں سب سے برتر—یقیناً اُن تیرتھ-پھولوں کے مکرند کے رس کا ذائقہ چکھنے میں نہایت ماہر بھنورے کی مانند ہے۔

Word by Word

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-विशेषण (genitive determiner)

• puṣpa: flower
• puṣpa: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• makarandasya: of the nectar (honey) of that flower
• makarandasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makaranda (प्रातिपदिक) [= madhu/puṣparasa]
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; तत्+पुष्प+मकरन्दस्य इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (genitive determinative)

• rasa: of the taste/juice
• rasa: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• āsvāda: relishing/tasting
• āsvāda: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ā√svad (धातु) → āsvāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• vid: knower
• vid: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (knower)

• uttamaḥ: the best
• uttamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; रस+आस्वाद+विद्+उत्तमः इति तत्पुरुषसमासः (best among knowers of taste)

• bhramaraḥ: bee
• bhramaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhramara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• khalu: indeed
• khalu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: khalu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; निश्चयार्थे/खल्वर्थे (indeed)

• mārkaṇḍaḥ: Mārkaṇḍa
• mārkaṇḍaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भ्रमरस्य विशेष्य-सम्बन्धे (apposition)

• muniḥ: sage
• muniḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समानाधिकरण

• matimatām: of the wise
• matimatām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; गुणवाचक-समूह (of the intelligent)

• varaḥ: best
• varaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (श्रेष्ठः)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvija-śreṣṭhas (addressed as ‘matimatāṃ varaḥ’, ‘ṛṣi-sattamāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous ascetic Mārkaṇḍeya is envisioned as a bee hovering over a riverbank garlanded with many flowers labeled as tīrthas; the ‘nectar’ is the subtle merit and insight drawn from each site.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya (Mārkaṇḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A realized sage extracts the ‘essence’ of tīrthas—showing that pilgrimage is deepest when guided by wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā tīrthas collectively, through the metaphor of flowers whose nectar is savored.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a commendation of Mārkaṇḍeya’s spiritual discernment.