Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि देवमातरमव्ययाम् । मंकीशान्नैरृते भागे गौरीरूपसमाश्रिताम् । देवमाता सरस्वत्या नाम लोकेषु गीयते

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi devamātaramavyayām | maṃkīśānnairṛte bhāge gaurīrūpasamāśritām | devamātā sarasvatyā nāma lokeṣu gīyate

Translation

Īśvara said: “Then, O Mahādevī, one should go to Devamātā, the imperishable Goddess. To the south-west of Maṃkīśa she abides in the form of Gaurī. In the worlds she is renowned by the name ‘Devamātā Sarasvatī.’”

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (then/thereafter)

• gacchet: one should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• mahā-devi: O Mahādevī
• mahā-devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (‘O great goddess’)

• deva-mātaram: the Mother of the gods
• deva-mātaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘mother of the gods’)

• avyayām: imperishable
• avyayām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (‘imperishable’)

• maṃkīśāt: from Maṃkīśa
• maṃkīśāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃkīśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• nairṛte: in the south-western
• nairṛte: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nairṛta (दिशावाचक/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक विशेषण (‘in the south-western’)

• bhāge: part/region
• bhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• gaurī-rūpa-samāśritām: having assumed the form of Gaurī
• gaurī-rūpa-samāśritām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + sam-āśrita (कृदन्त; √śri श्रि with सम्+आ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘having resorted to’; तत्पुरुष (‘having assumed/ resorted to the form of Gaurī’)

• deva-mātā: the Mother of the gods
• deva-mātā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘mother of the gods’)

• sarasvatyāḥ: of Sarasvatī
• sarasvatyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Apposition marker (नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; ‘नाम’ इति नामनिर्देशे (called)

• lokeṣu: in the worlds/among people
• lokeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• gīyate: is sung/celebrated
• gīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gai (गै)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devamātā Sarasvatī (near Maṃkīśa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Mahādevī about a shrine of Devamātā Sarasvatī, indicating the south-west direction from Maṃkīśa; the Goddess is envisioned as Gaurī, serene and imperishable, presiding over a tīrtha landscape of Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Devamātā
• Sarasvatī
• Gaurī
• Maṃkīśa/Maṃkīśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha landscape is mapped as a living divine presence—Devī manifests in specific forms and directions to guide devotion and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devamātā Sarasvatī, located to the south-west of Maṃkīśvara within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The instruction is to proceed to (visit) Devamātā; no specific pūjā/dāna is detailed in this verse.