Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्मादीशान दिग्भागे इन्द्रस्थानमनुत्तमम् । गव्यूतिपञ्चमात्रेण यत्र चन्द्रसरः प्रिये

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasmādīśāna digbhāge indrasthānamanuttamam | gavyūtipañcamātreṇa yatra candrasaraḥ priye

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Von dort liegt im nordöstlichen Viertel das unvergleichliche Indra-sthāna; in einer Entfernung von fünf gavyūti befindet sich der See namens Candrasaras, o Geliebte.

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता/कर्ता

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

• tasmāt: from there
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-प्रयोग (ablatival adverb: ‘from there/thereafter’)

• īśāna: in the north-east
• īśāna: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; दिग्वाचक विशेषण (NE direction)

• digbhāge: in the region of the direction
• digbhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dik-bhāga (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• indrasthānam: Indra’s place
• indrasthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra-sthāna (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म/विषय (object of implied ‘asti’)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed
• anuttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-uttama (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग-निषेध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative: unsurpassed)

• gavyūtipañcamātreṇa: by a measure of five gavyūtis
• gavyūtipañcamātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gavyūti-pañca-mātra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; प्रमाण/करण (measure as instrument)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/स्थानवाचक (relative adverb of place: where)

• candrasaraḥ: the Moon-lake
• candrasaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra-saras (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject of ‘asti’ implied)

• priye: O beloved (goddess)
• priye: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Indra-sthāna; Candrasaras

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā (addressed as priye)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, as narrator, gestures toward the northeast on a stylized sacred map; a pilgrim party walks along a path marked ‘Indra-sthāna’; in the distance a serene moon-reflecting lake ‘Candrasaras’ glows, with lotuses and white birds.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Indrasthāna
• Candrasaras (Candra-saraḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a sacred journey—knowing directions and tīrtha locations is itself part of dharma and disciplined devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indrasthāna and Candrasaras (the Moon-lake) in the Prabhāsa Kṣetra region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite here; it provides tīrtha-location guidance (direction and distance).