Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि लिंगं राहुप्रतिष्ठितम् । शनैश्चरेश्वराद्देवि वायव्ये संप्रतिष्ठितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi liṃgaṃ rāhupratiṣṭhitam | śanaiścareśvarāddevi vāyavye saṃpratiṣṭhitam

Translation

ঈশ্বর বলিলেন—হে মহাদেবী, তদনন্তর শনিৈশ্চরেশ্বরের নিকটে বায়ব্য (উত্তর-পশ্চিম) দিকে প্রতিষ্ঠিত, রাহু-প্রতিষ্ঠিত লিঙ্গের কাছে গমন কর।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana/Desha-Kala (Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः महा + देवी (विशेषण-विशेष्यभाव)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• राहु-प्रतिष्ठितम्: established by Rāhu
• राहु-प्रतिष्ठितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राहु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त; √स्था/स्थाप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘प्रतिष्ठित’; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राहोः प्रतिष्ठितम् = established by Rāhu)

• शनैश्चर-ईश्वरात्: from Śanaiścara’s lord (i.e., from Śanaiścara-īśvara)
• शनैश्चर-ईश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनैश्चर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शनैश्चरस्य ईश्वरः)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• वायव्ये: in the north-west (Vāyavya direction)
• वायव्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दिशावाचक), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• संप्रतिष्ठितम्: well-established; firmly installed
• संप्रतिष्ठितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं + प्रति + √स्था (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāhu-pratiṣṭhita-liṅga (near Śanaiścareśvara)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī / Devī (explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Devī like a guide, pointing northwest on a sacred map; a small liṅga shrine marked with a serpent-shadow/eclipse motif (Rāhu) stands near a Śanaiścareśvara temple, with pilgrims moving along a path.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Rāhu
• Śanaiścareśvara
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a guided movement through sacred space, where each shrine embodies a cosmic power turned toward Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Rāhu-pratiṣṭhita Śiva-liṅga in Prabhāsakṣetra, located near Śanaiścareśvara toward the northwest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to visit (gacchet) the specific liṅga as part of the Prabhāsa pilgrimage circuit.