Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि कुमारेश्वरमुत्तमम् । लिंगं महाप्रभावं हि महापातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi kumāreśvaramuttamam | liṃgaṃ mahāprabhāvaṃ hi mahāpātakanāśanam

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Dann, o große Göttin, soll man zum erhabenen Kumāreśvara gehen—zu einem Liṅga von gewaltiger Macht, der selbst die schwersten Sünden vernichtet.

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), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• 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), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• कुमारेश्वरम्: Kumāreśvara
• कुमारेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: supreme; excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) कुमारेश्वरम्-विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• महाप्रभावम्: of great power
• महाप्रभावम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् लिङ्गम्-विशेषण

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् लिङ्गम्-विशेषण

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Pārvatī to proceed to Kumāreśvara; a radiant liṅga stands in a shrine, emanating power that dissolves darkness/sin; pilgrims approach with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kumāreśvara
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and worship at specific Śaiva liṅgas are upheld as potent means of purification, capable of dissolving even heavy karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kumāreśvara (a powerful Liṅga) within the sacred landscape of Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gacchet—one is enjoined to go (undertake pilgrimage) to Kumāreśvara; the verse implies darśana/pūjā of the Liṅga.