Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि त्र्यंबकेश्वरमव्ययम् । तत्पंचमं समाख्यातं रुद्राणामादिदैवतम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi tryaṃbakeśvaramavyayam | tatpaṃcamaṃ samākhyātaṃ rudrāṇāmādidaivatam

Translation

Īśvara said: Then, O Mahādevī, one should proceed to imperishable Tryambakeśvara. He is declared to be the fifth (in the sequence), the primal divinity among the Rudras.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — 'thereafter/then'

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—महान् + देवी

• त्र्यम्बकेश्वरम्: Tryambakeśvara
• त्र्यम्बकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यम्बक + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—त्र्यम्बकस्य ईश्वरः

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्

• पञ्चमम्: fifth
• पञ्चमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• समाख्यातम्: is called/declared
• समाख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'called/declared'

• रुद्राणाम्: of the Rudras
• रुद्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आदिदैवतम्: the prime deity
• आदिदैवतम्: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—आदि (first) + दैवत (deity)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tryambakeśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī to proceed next to the imperishable Tryambakeśvara, identified as the fifth Rudra and primal among Rudras; the scene shows a path leading from one shrine to another, with a prominent three-eyed Śiva emblem over the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Tryambakeśvara
• Mahādevī
• Rudras
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is presented as a guided dharmic journey through Rudra-shrines, each bearing a ranked place in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tryambakeśvara, identified as a key Rudra-site within Prabhāsakṣetra’s Ekādaśa-rudra circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gacchet—one should go/undertake pilgrimage to Tryambakeśvara (implying darśana and worship upon arrival).