Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । जन्मान्तरैरनेकैस्तु मानुष्यमुपलभ्यते । भक्तिरुत्पद्यते चात्र कथंचिदपि शङ्करे

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | janmāntarairanekaistu mānuṣyamupalabhyate | bhaktirutpadyate cātra kathaṃcidapi śaṅkare

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya nói: Trải qua vô số đời sinh, mới được thân người; và ngay trong đời này, bằng cách nào đó, lòng bhakti đối với Śaṅkara (Śiva) cũng khởi sinh.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

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

• जन्मान्तरैः: by other births, through many lives
• जन्मान्तरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; instrumental plural; तत्पुरुष (जन्मान्तरैः = अन्यैः जन्मभिः)

• अनेकैः: many
• अनेकैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; adjective agreeing with जन्मान्तरैः

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: “but/indeed”)

• मानुष्यम्: human birth/state
• मानुष्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• उपलभ्यते: is obtained
• उपलभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; present passive/ātmanepada usage: “is obtained”

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• उत्पद्यते: arises
• उत्पद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; present 3rd sg (intransitive: “arises”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: “here/in this [human state]”)

• कथंचित्: somehow
• कथंचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: “somehow, by some means”)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (particle: “also/even”)

• शङ्करे: in/for Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative singular

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya speaks with calm authority; behind him a symbolic wheel of births fades into a single bright human figure offering bilva leaves to a liṅga, showing the rarity of bhakti arising in human life.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth is rare, and the arising of devotion to Śiva is an even more precious grace that should be protected and deepened.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is general; within Revā Khaṇḍa it frames the broader sanctity of the Revā (Narmadā) region rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it establishes the foundation of bhakti as the key spiritual attainment.