Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि गोपीश्वरमनुत्तमम् । बलातिबलदैत्यघ्न्या उत्तरे धनुषां त्रये

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi gopīśvaramanuttamam | balātibaladaityaghnyā uttare dhanuṣāṃ traye

Translation

Īśvara dit : Alors, ô grande Déesse, il faut se rendre auprès de l’incomparable Gopīśvara, situé au nord de Balātibala-daitya-ghnī, à une distance de trois dhanuṣ (mesures de longueur d’arc).

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (then/thereafter)

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

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• गोपीश्वरम्: Gopīśvara
• गोपीश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (gopīnām īśvaraḥ)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गोपीश्वरम्-विशेषण

• बलातिबलदैत्यघ्न्याः: of (the goddess) slayer of the demons Bala and Atibala
• बलातिबलदैत्यघ्न्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल + अतिबल + दैत्य + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (balātibaladaityānāṃ ghnī)

• उत्तरे: to the north
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; देशवाचक (in the north)

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Measure/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; परिमाणे (of bows)

• त्रये: at three (bows' distance)
• त्रये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (in a set of three)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopīśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī/Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Devī on the next pilgrimage stop; a stylized map-like landscape shows the Devī-shrine behind and a liṅga-temple ahead to the north, with a short measured path between.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī
• Gopīśvara
• Balātibala-daitya-ghnī
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a sacred practice: moving from one sanctified shrine to another within Prabhāsakṣetra is itself part of dhārmic merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopīśvara, a revered Śiva-site within Prabhāsakṣetra, is introduced and located relative to the Balātibala-daitya-ghnī shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction: proceed to Gopīśvara, specifying direction (north) and distance (three dhanuṣ).