Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पुराऽसीद्गौतमो नाम मुनिः परमधार्मिकः । स भक्त्याऽराधयामास देवदेवं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

purā'sīdgautamo nāma muniḥ paramadhārmikaḥ | sa bhaktyā'rādhayāmāsa devadevaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

In ancient times there was a sage named Gautama, supremely righteous. With devotion he worshipped Maheśvara, the God of gods.

Word by Word

• purā: once; formerly
• purā: Kāla-adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/once)

• āsīt: there was
• āsīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• gautamaḥ: Gautama
• gautamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gautama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निर्देशक (named)

• muniḥ: sage
• muniḥ: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; गौतमस्य अप्पोजिशन (apposition)

• paramadhārmikaḥ: supremely righteous
• paramadhārmikaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama-dhārmika (प्रातिपदिक; परम + धार्मिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् मुनिः/गौतमः

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ārādhayāmāsa: worshipped; propitiated
• ārādhayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√rādh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• devadevam: the God of gods
• devadevam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-deva (प्रातिपदिक; देव + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• maheśvaram: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवदेवस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautamāśrama

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Gautama in meditation and worship before an unseen presence of Maheśvara—rudrākṣa, bilva leaves, a small altar, and a tranquil forest hermitage setting.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Maheśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme dharma ripens into devotion; bhakti to Śiva is presented as a direct path to divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the backstory for Gautamāśrama, whose sanctity arises from Gautama’s worship of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional worship/propitiation of Maheśvara (ārādhana) is indicated, without a detailed procedure.