Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततोऽर्णवात्समुत्तीर्य त्रिकूटशिखरे स्थितम् । महाकनकवर्णाभे नानावर्णशिलाचिते

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato'rṇavātsamuttīrya trikūṭaśikhare sthitam | mahākanakavarṇābhe nānāvarṇaśilācite

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya thưa rằng: Rồi sau khi vượt lên khỏi đại dương, ta thấy Ngài đứng vững trên đỉnh Trikūṭa—rực sáng như vàng ròng, trang nghiêm bởi những phiến đá muôn màu.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अव्ययीभावार्थे/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'then/from there')

• अर्णवात्: from the ocean
• अर्णवात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• समुत्तीर्य: having crossed/come out
• समुत्तीर्य: Kriya (Action—prior act/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-उत्-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• त्रिकूटशिखरे: on the peak of Trikūṭa
• त्रिकूटशिखरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिकूट-शिखर (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + कूट + शिखर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थितम्: standing; situated
• स्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying an implied object)

• महाकनकवर्णाभे: in/at (a place) having the luster of great gold
• महाकनकवर्णाभे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकनकवर्ण-आभ (प्रातिपदिक; महा + कनक + वर्ण + आभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (describing the place/peak)

• नानावर्णशिलाचिते: adorned with stones of many colors
• नानावर्णशिलाचिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना-वर्ण-शिला-चित (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + वर्ण + शिला + चित)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle used adjectivally), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trikūṭa-śikhara (as a darśana-sthala in Revā-khaṇḍa narrative)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied royal/epic audience within the frame narrative (later explicit: Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage emerging from the oceanic expanse and beholding a three-peaked mountain summit glittering like molten gold, inlaid with many-hued stones; the summit feels otherworldly, as if a celestial terrace.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Trikūṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is portrayed as a divine theater—crossing peril (the ocean) leads to a vision of the holy summit where the Lord abides.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Trikūṭa-śikhara (the summit of Trikūṭa) is highlighted as a luminous sacred locus within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, establishing the sanctity and splendor of the location.