Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अथ पूजाविधानं ते कथयामि यशस्विनि । अर्कस्थलस्य देवस्य यथा पूज्यो नरोत्तमैः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | atha pūjāvidhānaṃ te kathayāmi yaśasvini | arkasthalasya devasya yathā pūjyo narottamaiḥ

Translation

Īśvara dit : À présent, ô illustre, je vais t’enseigner la règle du culte—comment le Seigneur d’Arkasthala doit être vénéré par les plus nobles des hommes.

Word by Word

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

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

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/beginning particle)

• पूजाविधानम्: the procedure of worship
• पूजाविधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथयामि: I tell/describe
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिजन्त)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यशस्विनि: O illustrious lady
• यशस्विनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्कस्थलस्य: of Arkasthala (the place)
• अर्कस्थलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: how/as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानसूचक (manner/comparative)

• पूज्यः: to be worshipped/worthy of worship
• पूज्यः: Visheshya-bhava (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कर्मणि)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय; gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरोत्तमैः: by the best of men
• नरोत्तमैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (yashasvinī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara instructs an illustrious Devī on the worship method for Arkasthala’s Lord; the scene is set in a sanctum courtyard with ritual vessels, flowers, lamps, and a solar emblem indicating Arkasthala’s identity.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Arkasthala
• Deva (of Arkasthala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places preserve specific, authoritative worship-methods; following pūjā-vidhi with reverence is itself a path of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arkasthala within Prabhāsakṣetra is introduced as a revered site with a distinct worship tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal pūjā-vidhi (worship procedure) is announced; details follow in subsequent verses.