Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । सर्वपापहरं पार्थ गोपारेश्वरमुत्तमम् । गोदेहान्निःसृतं लिङ्गं पुण्यं भूमितले नृप

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | narmadādakṣiṇe kūle tīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam | sarvapāpaharaṃ pārtha gopāreśvaramuttamam | godehānniḥsṛtaṃ liṅgaṃ puṇyaṃ bhūmitale nṛpa

Translation

圣者马尔坎德耶说道：在那尔摩陀河的南岸，有一处极其庄严美妙的圣地，哦帕尔塔——最上妙的戈帕雷湿伐罗，能除尽一切罪垢。哦大王，在那大地之上安住着一尊清净的林伽，乃自一头母牛之身显现而出。

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (honorific qualifier)

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

• नर्मदायाḥ: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कूल-विशेषण

• कूले: bank
• कूले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• परम-शोभनम्: supremely beautiful
• परम-शोभनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (intensifying: 'supremely beautiful')

• सर्व-पाप-हरम्: removing all sins
• सर्व-पाप-हरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'remover of all sins')

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• गोपारेश्वरम्: (the deity) Gopāreśvara
• गोपारेश्वरम्: Apposition (विशेष्य/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपार (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative proper name)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; गोपारेश्वर-विशेषण

• गो-देहात्: from a cow's body
• गो-देहात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'from the body of a cow')

• निःसृतम्: emerged/issued forth
• निःसृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः+सृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; लिङ्ग-विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; लिङ्ग-विशेषण

• भूमि-तले: on the earth's surface
• भूमि-तले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'on the surface of the earth')

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

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopāreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the lush southern bank of the Narmadā, a radiant liṅga rests upon the earth; a cow stands nearby as the miraculous source, while sages and pilgrims bow; the river flows with sacred calm.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Gopāreśvara
• Śiva (implied by liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places connected to Śiva, especially on the Narmadā, are celebrated as powerful means for purification and removal of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopāreśvara Tīrtha on the southern bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse introduces the tīrtha and its sin-destroying power.