Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मार्कंडेय इति ख्यातस्तं गत्वा पृच्छ संशयम् । तथोपदिष्टस्तैर्गत्वा तत्र तं मुनिपुंगवम्

Transliteration

mārkaṃḍeya iti khyātastaṃ gatvā pṛccha saṃśayam | tathopadiṣṭastairgatvā tatra taṃ munipuṃgavam

Translation

他以“摩尔坎德耶”（Mārkaṇḍeya）之名闻于世——你当往见彼仙，询问心中疑惑。既受众人如是指示，他便前往其处，抵达那位群贤之冠、诸牟尼中的雄牛般的大圣。

Word by Word

• mārkaṃḍeyaḥ: Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṃḍeyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṃḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• iti: thus (named)
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश निपात (quotative/name-marker)

• khyātaḥ: known as
• khyātaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √khyā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √gam (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• pṛccha: ask
• pṛccha: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• saṃśayam: the doubt
• saṃśayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• upadiṣṭaḥ: instructed/advised
• upadiṣṭaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√diś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• taiḥ: by them
• taiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √gam (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• muni-puṃgavam: the foremost of sages
• muni-puṃgavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni-puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक; मुनि + पुंगव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indradyumna sets out and arrives at Naimiṣāraṇya, approaching Mārkaṇḍeya seated in an āśrama. The sage appears radiant, serene, surrounded by sacred implements and quiet forest life.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Naimiṣāraṇya (implied from prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Doubts are resolved by approaching authentic spiritual authority (a muni) with humility and direct inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣāraṇya is the implied sacred locale where Mārkaṇḍeya is to be approached.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the practical dharmic act prescribed is ‘go and ask’ (guru-upasatti and praśna).