Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि तस्यैवोत्तरतः स्थितम् । महाकालेश्वरं देवं सर्वरक्षाकरं परम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi tasyaivottarataḥ sthitam | mahākāleśvaraṃ devaṃ sarvarakṣākaraṃ param

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Dann, o Mahādevī, soll man von eben jenem Ort weiter nach Norden gehen und den Gott Mahākāleśvara schauen, den Höchsten, der allen Schutz gewährt.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• 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), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

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

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

• तस्य: of that (place/deity)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle/emphasis)

• उत्तरतः: to the north; northwards
• उत्तरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (directional adverb)

• स्थितम्: situated; located
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• महाकालेश्वरम्: Mahākāleśvara
• महाकालेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महाकालस्य ईश्वरः)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वरक्षाकरम्: maker of protection for all
• सर्वरक्षाकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + रक्षा + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां रक्षां करोति)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāleśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Mahādevī about the next northern shrine; pilgrims approach a Mahākāleśvara liṅga-temple, with a sense of awe and protection.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādevī
• Mahākāleśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a sacred journey: approaching Mahākāleśvara is portrayed as entering the sphere of Śiva’s supreme protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāleśvara’s shrine/seat within Prabhāsakṣetra, described by directional sacred geography (north of the prior site).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed movement/visit (gacchet) to Mahākāleśvara as part of the tirtha-circuit.