Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

प्राचीनेश्वरदेवस्य पुरोभूतं प्रति ष्ठितम् । प्राची सरस्वती यत्र तत्र किं मृग्यते परम्

Transliteration

prācīneśvaradevasya purobhūtaṃ prati ṣṭhitam | prācī sarasvatī yatra tatra kiṃ mṛgyate param

Translation

Es ist vor dem Herrn Prācīneśvara errichtet. Wo die ostwärts fließende Sarasvatī gegenwärtig ist – was Höheres müsste man jenseits dieses Ortes noch suchen?

Word by Word

• prācīna-īśvara-devasya: of (the deity) Prācīneśvara
• prācīna-īśvara-devasya: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācīna (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (विशेषण-विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध) — 'of the deity Prācīneśvara'; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• puraḥ-bhūtam: being in front (of)
• puraḥ-bhūtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puras (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त, √bhū)
• Form: समास: अव्ययीभाव (puraḥ = 'in front') + भूत (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• pratiṣṭhitam: is established/situated
• pratiṣṭhitam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-ṣṭhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'established/situated'

• prācī: eastern, east-flowing
• prācī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• sarasvatī: Sarasvatī
• sarasvatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक) — 'where'

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — 'there'

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object of passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• mṛgyate: is sought
• mṛgyate: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛg (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense) — 'is sought'

• param: higher, beyond, superior
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (comparative sense)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prācīneśvara-Sarasvatī tīrtha (front of Prācīneśvara)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shrine of Prācīneśvara facing a sacred watercourse identified as Sarasvatī; the river is shown flowing eastward, with pilgrims pausing in awe as if the journey’s purpose is fulfilled.

Characters & Entities

• Prācīneśvara
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proximity to a revered Śiva-liṅga and a sanctifying river is portrayed as an unsurpassed spiritual opportunity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The area before Prācīneśvara, sanctified by the presence of Sarasvatī in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse emphasizes the supreme value of being at this sacred locale.