Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि देवीं कंटकशोधिनीम् । तस्यैवोत्तरदिग्भागे धनुर्द्वितयसंस्थिताम्

Transliteration

tato gacchenmahādevi devīṃ kaṃṭakaśodhinīm | tasyaivottaradigbhāge dhanurdvitayasaṃsthitām

Translation

Daraufhin, o große Göttin, soll man zur Göttin namens Kaṇṭakaśodhinī gehen. Sie befindet sich nördlich eben jenes heiligen Ortes, in einer Entfernung von zwei dhanu (Bogenlängen).

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ततो-शब्दः (ablatival adverb)

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mahādevi: O great Goddess
• mahādevi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती देविः)

• devīm: the Goddess
• devīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kaṃṭaka-śodhinīm: the remover of thorns/obstacles
• kaṃṭaka-śodhinīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṃṭaka (प्रातिपदिक) + śodhinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (कंटकान् शोधयति इति)

• tasya: of that (place/deity)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (emphatic particle)

• uttara-dik-bhāge: in the northern part/direction
• uttara-dik-bhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + dik (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-परम्परा (उत्तरायाः दिशः भागे)

• dhanuḥ-dvitaya-saṃsthitām: situated at a distance of two bows
• dhanuḥ-dvitaya-saṃsthitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanuḥ (प्रातिपदिक) + dvitaya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsthita (प्रातिपदिक; √sthā + sam + kta)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धनुर्द्वितये संस्थिताम्)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara) (contextual, continuing the dialogue with Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kaṇṭakaśodhinī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed as ‘mahādevi’, ‘varānane’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim party in Prabhāsa-kṣetra receives directional guidance to a northern Devī-shrine; the Devī’s sanctum is hinted beyond, with a measured distance marker (two dhanu).

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Devī/Pārvatī)
• Kaṇṭakaśodhinī Devī
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra (implied reference)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a disciplined journey: visiting specific shrines in sequence is presented as a dharmic way to remove obstacles and gain merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kaṇṭakaśodhinī Devī’s shrine within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra sacred landscape, located to the north of the referenced main site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction: proceed to Kaṇṭakaśodhinī Devī, described with directional (north) and distance (two dhanu) markers.