Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो ब्रह्मेश्वरं गच्छेत्तस्य दक्षिणतः स्थितम् । ब्रह्मणा स्थापितं पूर्वं ब्रह्मकुण्डसमीपतः । त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्यातं रक्ष्यमाणं गणैर्मम

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato brahmeśvaraṃ gacchettasya dakṣiṇataḥ sthitam | brahmaṇā sthāpitaṃ pūrvaṃ brahmakuṇḍasamīpataḥ | triṣu lokeṣu vikhyātaṃ rakṣyamāṇaṃ gaṇairmama

Translation

Īśvara sprach: „Dann soll man zu Brahmeśvara gehen, der südlich von jenem Ort steht. Einst wurde er von Brahmā nahe dem Brahmakūṇḍa errichtet; in den drei Welten ist er berühmt und wird von meinen Gaṇas behütet.“

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (then; from there)

• brahmeśvaram: Brahmeśvara (a Śiva-liṅga/temple)
• brahmeśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tasya: of it/that
• tasya: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dakṣiṇataḥ: to the south (of it)
• dakṣiṇataḥ: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dakṣiṇataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'to the south/right of')

• sthitam: situated
• sthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (brahmeśvaram इति विशेष्येण सह)

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sthāpitam: established
• sthāpitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजकात् भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; causative sense 'caused to be placed'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (brahmeśvaram इति विशेष्येण सह)

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

• brahma-kuṇḍa-samīpataḥ: near the Brahma-kuṇḍa
• brahma-kuṇḍa-samīpataḥ: Adhikarana (Proximity/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + samīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तस्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: समासान्त-तस्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (ablatival adverb: 'from/near')

• triṣu: in the three
• triṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (lokeṣu इति विशेष्येण सह)

• lokeṣu: worlds
• lokeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• vikhyātam: renowned
• vikhyātam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-khyā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (brahmeśvaram इति विशेष्येण सह)

• rakṣyamāṇam: being protected
• rakṣyamāṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्-प्रत्यय; passive sense), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (brahmeśvaram इति विशेष्येण सह)

• gaṇaiḥ: by the gaṇas (attendants)
• gaṇaiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmeśvara (near Brahmakūṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Devī/Umā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara speaks to Devī, pointing out a southern shrine: Brahmeśvara near Brahmakūṇḍa; gaṇas stand as vigilant guardians around the sanctum; pilgrims approach along a path.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmā
• Brahmeśvara
• Brahmakūṇḍa
• Gaṇas
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seek holy places established by great deities; approaching a protected Śiva-liṅga near a tīrtha is portrayed as inherently auspicious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmeśvara near Brahmakūṇḍa in Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction: “go to Brahmeśvara” (darśana/visit), emphasizing its sanctity and divine protection.