Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ श्रीमातां देववंदिताम् । सर्वकामप्रदां नृणामिहलोके परत्र च

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha śrīmātāṃ devavaṃditām | sarvakāmapradāṃ nṛṇāmihaloke paratra ca

Translation

Pulastya said: Then, O best of kings, one should go to Śrīmātā—the Goddess adored by the gods—who grants all desired aims to human beings, both in this world and in the world beyond.

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• 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 (Singular), परस्मैपद

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रीमाताम्: the auspicious Mother (Goddess)
• श्रीमाताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• देववन्दिताम्: praised by the gods
• देववन्दिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + वन्दित (वन्द्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• सर्वकामप्रदाम्: granting all desires
• सर्वकामप्रदाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + प्रद (प्रदा) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इहलोके: in this world
• इहलोके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इह + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• परत्र: in the other world; hereafter
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देश/कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīmātā-kṣetra (on Arbuda)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Pulastya instructs a king: ‘Go to Śrīmātā’; in the background rises the sacred mountain with a Devī shrine, flags fluttering, pilgrims ascending steps.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Śrīmātā (Devī)
• Devas
• King (listener, unspecified)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to the Divine Mother is presented as a dharmic path that supports both material well-being and spiritual destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred seat/shrine of Śrīmātā Devī in the Arbuda (mountain) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct prescription of yātrā—‘one should go’—implying devotional visitation and worship of Śrīmātā.