Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । साधु साधु महाबाहो सोमवंशविभूषण । गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं तीर्थं नाख्यातं कस्यचिन्मया

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sādhu sādhu mahābāho somavaṃśavibhūṣaṇa | guhyādguhyataraṃ tīrthaṃ nākhyātaṃ kasyacinmayā

Translation

شری مارکنڈےیہ نے کہا: شاباش، شاباش، اے قوی بازو، اے سوم وَنش کے زیور! یہ تیرتھ رازوں سے بھی بڑھ کر راز ہے؛ میں نے اسے کسی پر ظاہر نہیں کیا۔

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + मार्कण्डेय (श्रीयुक्तः मार्कण्डेयः)

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

• साधु: well done / good
• साधु: Sambandha/Prayojaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसावाचक-निपात (particle of approval)

• साधु: indeed, good
• साधु: Sambandha/Prayojaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—महा + बाहु

• सोमवंशविभूषण: O ornament of the Soma dynasty
• सोमवंशविभूषण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमवंश + विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमवंशस्य विभूषणम्)

• गुह्यात्: than (what is) secret
• गुह्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; तुलनाबिन्दु (than the secret)

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्यतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Prayojaka (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• आख्यातम्: told/declared
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘आख्यातम्’ = ‘told’

• कस्यचित्: to anyone
• कस्यचित्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Somavaṃśa-vibhūṣaṇa (a lunar-dynasty prince/hero; specific name not in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged sage Mārkaṇḍeya, serene and radiant, praises a lunar-dynasty hero and prepares to reveal a hidden Revā tīrtha; a riverbank hermitage with ascetics and flowing Narmadā in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Somavaṃśa (Lunar dynasty)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some tīrtha-knowledges are treated as sacred confidences, to be transmitted to worthy seekers with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The yet-to-be-fully-narrated Hanūmateśvara-related tīrtha, described as exceptionally secret.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it frames the forthcoming narration as a guarded revelation rather than a public instruction.