Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । साधुसाधु महादेवि लोकानां हितकारिणि । मर्त्यलोके महादेवि तीर्थं तीर्थवरं शुभम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | sādhusādhu mahādevi lokānāṃ hitakāriṇi | martyaloke mahādevi tīrthaṃ tīrthavaraṃ śubham

Translation

Īśvara sprach: „Wohl gesprochen, wohl gesprochen, o Mahādevī, Wohltäterin der Welten. In der Welt der Sterblichen, o Mahādevī, gibt es eine heilige Tīrtha, die beste unter den Tīrthas, wahrhaft glückverheißend.“

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• साधु: well done!
• साधु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसार्थक-निपात (particle of approval)

• साधु: well done!
• साधु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-प्रशंसा (repeated approval)

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—महान् + देवी (तत्पुरुष)

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/of people
• लोकानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हितकारिणि: O doer of good (benefactress)
• हितकारिणि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हितकारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—हितस्य कारिणी (तत्पुरुष)

• मर्त्यलोके: in the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्यलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—मर्त्यानां लोकः (तत्पुरुष)

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—महान् + देवी (तत्पुरुष)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थवरम्: the best of tīrthas
• तीर्थवरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—वरं तीर्थम् (कर्मधारय)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara/Maheśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (implied as the tīrtha-vara being introduced)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara speaks approvingly to Mahādevī, praising her welfare-oriented question; he gestures as if unveiling a map of the mortal world with a radiant point marking the ‘best tīrtha’—Prabhāsa—glowing auspiciously.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage (tīrtha) is presented as a divinely endorsed aid for human welfare and auspiciousness, not merely travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse signals an eminent tīrtha in the mortal world, which the next verse identifies as Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; it introduces the exalted status of the tīrtha.