Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि शूलस्थानमिति श्रुतम् । देविकायास्तटे रम्ये भास्करं वारितस्करम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi śūlasthānamiti śrutam | devikāyāstaṭe ramye bhāskaraṃ vāritaskaram

Translation

ঈশ্বর বললেন—হে মহাদেবী, অতঃপর ‘শূলস্থান’ নামে প্রসিদ্ধ স্থানে গমন করা উচিত। দেবিকা নদীর মনোরম তটে ‘বারিতস্কর’ (চোর-নিবারক) ভাস্কর দেব বিরাজমান।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रम/हेतु-निर्देशकः (then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम् (Singular); कर्मधारयः (महती देवी)

• शूलस्थानम्: the place called Śūlasthāna
• शूलस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शूलस्य स्थानम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशक-अव्ययम् (thus/so called)

• श्रुतम्: is heard/known
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (Past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• देविकायाः: of (the river) Devikā
• देविकायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देविका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• रम्ये: pleasant/beautiful
• रम्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम् (Singular); तटे इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• भास्करम्: Bhāskara (Sun; a deity/place-name)
• भास्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• वारितस्करम्: (the one) who restrains thieves
• वारितस्करम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वृ (धातु) + णिच् + क्त) + तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः—‘येन तस्कराः वारिताः सः’ (one by whom thieves are restrained); भास्करम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlasthāna (Devikā-taṭa Bhāskara: Warita-staskara)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs the Goddess to proceed to Śūlasthāna; a tranquil riverbank (Devikā) with a radiant Sūrya icon titled ‘Warita-staskara’, suggesting protection and moral restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī
• Devikā
• Śūlasthāna
• Bhāskara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is revealed as a divine itinerary—visiting named tīrthas is itself a dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlasthāna on the Devikā riverbank, and the Bhāskara site known as Vāritaskara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed pilgrimage movement: ‘one should go’ to Śūlasthāna and its associated shrine on Devikā’s bank.