Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

गुहेन स्थापितः पूर्वं यत्र देवो महेश्वरः । गुहेश्वरान्नातिदूरे वटेश्वरमिति स्मृतम्

Transliteration

guhena sthāpitaḥ pūrvaṃ yatra devo maheśvaraḥ | guheśvarānnātidūre vaṭeśvaramiti smṛtam

Translation

Là, jadis, le dieu Maheśvara fut établi par Guha. Non loin de Guheśvara se trouve un lieu que l’on se rappelle sous le nom de Vaṭeśvara.

Word by Word

• guhena: by Guha (Kārttikeya)
• guhena: Karaṇa/Karta-instr (करण/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• sthāpitaḥ: was established
• sthāpitaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) (णिच् causative: sthāpaya-)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrvam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: formerly/previously)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• mahā-īśvaraḥ: Maheśvara (the Great Lord)
• mahā-īśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय; devaḥ इति समानाधिकरण

• guheśvarāt: from Guheśvara
• guheśvarāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation particle)

• ati-dūre: too far (away)
• ati-dūre: Deśa (देश/स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + dūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (ati + dūre), स्थानवाचक (locative sense: too far)

• vaṭa-īśvaram: Vaṭeśvara
• vaṭa-īśvaram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वटस्य ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); (tīrtham/linga-name)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-कारक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• smṛtam: is remembered/called
• smṛtam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guheśvara; Vaṭeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Guha (Kārttikeya) installs a radiant Śiva-liṅga (Guheśvara) in ancient time; nearby stands a banyan-associated shrine Vaṭeśvara, indicating a sacred grove and clustered worship.

Characters & Entities

• Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Guheśvara
• Vaṭeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are sanctified through divine installation and remembrance; proximity of shrines forms a sacred pilgrimage circuit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guheśvara and the nearby Vaṭeśvara in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation) as the sanctifying act, though no specific ritual steps are described.