Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

प्राचीनेश्वरदेवस्य पुरोभूतं प्रति ष्ठितम् । प्राची सरस्वती यत्र तत्र किं मृग्यते परम्

Transliteration

prācīneśvaradevasya purobhūtaṃ prati ṣṭhitam | prācī sarasvatī yatra tatra kiṃ mṛgyate param

Translation

Está establecido frente al Señor Prācīneśvara. Allí donde está Sarasvatī fluyendo hacia el oriente, ¿qué meta más alta habría que buscar más allá de ese lugar?

Word by Word

• prācīna-īśvara-devasya: of (the deity) Prācīneśvara
• prācīna-īśvara-devasya: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācīna (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (विशेषण-विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध) — 'of the deity Prācīneśvara'; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• puraḥ-bhūtam: being in front (of)
• puraḥ-bhūtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puras (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त, √bhū)
• Form: समास: अव्ययीभाव (puraḥ = 'in front') + भूत (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• pratiṣṭhitam: is established/situated
• pratiṣṭhitam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-ṣṭhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'established/situated'

• prācī: eastern, east-flowing
• prācī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• sarasvatī: Sarasvatī
• sarasvatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक) — 'where'

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — 'there'

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object of passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• mṛgyate: is sought
• mṛgyate: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛg (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense) — 'is sought'

• param: higher, beyond, superior
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (comparative sense)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prācīneśvara-Sarasvatī tīrtha (front of Prācīneśvara)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shrine of Prācīneśvara facing a sacred watercourse identified as Sarasvatī; the river is shown flowing eastward, with pilgrims pausing in awe as if the journey’s purpose is fulfilled.

Characters & Entities

• Prācīneśvara
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proximity to a revered Śiva-liṅga and a sanctifying river is portrayed as an unsurpassed spiritual opportunity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The area before Prācīneśvara, sanctified by the presence of Sarasvatī in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse emphasizes the supreme value of being at this sacred locale.