Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो ब्रह्मेश्वरं गच्छेत्तस्य दक्षिणतः स्थितम् । ब्रह्मणा स्थापितं पूर्वं ब्रह्मकुण्डसमीपतः । त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्यातं रक्ष्यमाणं गणैर्मम

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato brahmeśvaraṃ gacchettasya dakṣiṇataḥ sthitam | brahmaṇā sthāpitaṃ pūrvaṃ brahmakuṇḍasamīpataḥ | triṣu lokeṣu vikhyātaṃ rakṣyamāṇaṃ gaṇairmama

Translation

Īśvara said: “Then one should go to Brahmeśvara, situated to the south of that place. Formerly established by Brahmā near Brahmakūṇḍa, it is renowned in the three worlds and is protected by my gaṇas.”

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (then; from there)

• brahmeśvaram: Brahmeśvara (a Śiva-liṅga/temple)
• brahmeśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tasya: of it/that
• tasya: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dakṣiṇataḥ: to the south (of it)
• dakṣiṇataḥ: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dakṣiṇataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'to the south/right of')

• sthitam: situated
• sthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (brahmeśvaram इति विशेष्येण सह)

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sthāpitam: established
• sthāpitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजकात् भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; causative sense 'caused to be placed'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (brahmeśvaram इति विशेष्येण सह)

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

• brahma-kuṇḍa-samīpataḥ: near the Brahma-kuṇḍa
• brahma-kuṇḍa-samīpataḥ: Adhikarana (Proximity/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + samīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तस्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: समासान्त-तस्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (ablatival adverb: 'from/near')

• triṣu: in the three
• triṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (lokeṣu इति विशेष्येण सह)

• lokeṣu: worlds
• lokeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• vikhyātam: renowned
• vikhyātam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-khyā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (brahmeśvaram इति विशेष्येण सह)

• rakṣyamāṇam: being protected
• rakṣyamāṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्-प्रत्यय; passive sense), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (brahmeśvaram इति विशेष्येण सह)

• gaṇaiḥ: by the gaṇas (attendants)
• gaṇaiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmeśvara (near Brahmakūṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Devī/Umā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara speaks to Devī, pointing out a southern shrine: Brahmeśvara near Brahmakūṇḍa; gaṇas stand as vigilant guardians around the sanctum; pilgrims approach along a path.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmā
• Brahmeśvara
• Brahmakūṇḍa
• Gaṇas
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seek holy places established by great deities; approaching a protected Śiva-liṅga near a tīrtha is portrayed as inherently auspicious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmeśvara near Brahmakūṇḍa in Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction: “go to Brahmeśvara” (darśana/visit), emphasizing its sanctity and divine protection.