Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्यैव दक्षिणे देवि तस्माद्गव्यूतिमात्रतः । पातालगामिनी गंगा संस्थिता पापनाशिनी

īśvara uvāca | tasyaiva dakṣiṇe devi tasmādgavyūtimātrataḥ | pātālagāminī gaṃgā saṃsthitā pāpanāśinī

Īśvara dit : Ô Déesse, juste au sud de ce lieu même, à la distance d’un seul gavyūti, est établie la Gaṅgā qui descend vers Pātāla, elle qui détruit les péchés.

ईश्वरःĪśvara (Lord Śiva)
ईश्वरः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
तस्यof that (place)
तस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन
एवindeed/just
एव:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), अव्यय
दक्षिणेto the south (in the southern side)
दक्षिणे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootदक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन
देविO goddess
देवि:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootदेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन
तस्मात्from that (place)
तस्मात्:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन
गव्यूतिa gavyūti (a measure of distance)
गव्यूति:
Visheshana (Measure qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootगव्यूति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासे पूर्वपद-रूप (as measure-unit stem), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (measure)
मात्रतःby mere measure; only as much as
मात्रतः:
Adverbial (Extent/परिमाण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
Formतद्धितान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb), अर्थः = 'मात्रेण/परिमाणतः'
पातालगामिनीgoing to the netherworld (Pātāla)
पातालगामिनी:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपाताल + गामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (गङ्गायाः)
गङ्गाthe river Gaṅgā
गङ्गा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन
संस्थिताis situated/has settled
संस्थिता:
Kriya (State/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + स्था (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः = 'स्थितवती/स्थित'
पापनाशिनीdestroyer of sins
पापनाशिनी:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपाप + नाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (गङ्गायाः)

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha: Pātālagāminī Gaṅgā (Prabhāsa)

Type: ghat

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Scene: Īśvara points southward from the Bālārka shrine; a luminous ribbon of water emerges and descends into a dark, cavern-like opening symbolizing Pātāla; pilgrims gather with waterpots; the river glows with a celestial sheen.

Ī
Īśvara (Śiva)
D
Devī
G
Gaṅgā
P
Pātāla
P
Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

Sacred geography is itself salvific: proximity to a tīrtha like Pātāla Gaṅgā is portrayed as a means for pāpa-kṣaya (destruction of sin).

Pātāla Gaṅgā at Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

Implicitly, tīrtha-sevā such as visiting and bathing is suggested by describing the sin-destroying Gaṅgā, though bathing is stated explicitly in the next verse.