Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तत्रैव संस्थितां पश्येद्देवीं दुःखांतकारिणीम् । शीतलेति पुरा ख्याता युगे द्वापरसंज्ञिते । कलौ पुनः समाख्यातां कलिदुःखान्तकारिणीम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tatraiva saṃsthitāṃ paśyeddevīṃ duḥkhāṃtakāriṇīm | śītaleti purā khyātā yuge dvāparasaṃjñite | kalau punaḥ samākhyātāṃ kaliduḥkhāntakāriṇīm

Translation

Īśvara said: “Right there one should behold the Goddess who brings suffering to an end. In the age called Dvāpara she was formerly renowned as Śītalā; but in Kali she is again proclaimed as the Ender of Kali’s sorrows.”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'said/spoke'

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• संस्थिताम्: situated/standing
• संस्थिताम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular agreeing with देवीम् (standing/located)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'should see'

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• दुःखान्तकारिणीम्: the remover of sorrow
• दुःखान्तकारिणीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + अन्त + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular qualifying देवीम् (one who ends sorrow)

• शीतला: Śītalā
• शीतला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीतला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (name/title)

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (adverb of time: formerly)

• ख्याता: was known
• ख्याता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) → ख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (was known)

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in the age)

• द्वापर-संज्ञिते: called Dvāpara
• द्वापर-संज्ञिते: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वापर + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular agreeing with युगे (called Dvāpara)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in Kali [age])

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक (again)

• समाख्याताम्: named/called
• समाख्याताम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + ख्या (धातु) → समाख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (having been named/called)

• कलिदुःखान्तकारिणीम्: the remover of the sorrows of Kali
• कलिदुःखान्तकारिणीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलि + दुःख + अन्त + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular qualifying देवीम् (ender of Kali’s sorrows)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra Devī-darśana (Śītalā / Kali-duḥkhāntakāriṇī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a pilgrim approaches a small Devī shrine near the sacred precinct; the Goddess is envisioned as cooling and compassionate, yet powerful against Kali’s afflictions, with attendants and offerings arranged for protection of children.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī
• Śītalā
• Kaliduḥkhāntakāriṇī
• Dvāpara Yuga
• Kali Yuga
• Prabhāsa (implied by section)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devī-darśana at a sacred site is presented as a direct remedy for suffering, especially in Kali-yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, the verse points to a specific spot ‘right there’ where the Goddess is established for darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana—going and beholding the Goddess at the spot—is prescribed as the central devotional act.