Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अथोत्तरे देवकुलात्तत्र गव्यूतिमात्रतः । उत्तमस्थानमिति च प्रख्यातं धरणीतले

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | athottare devakulāttatra gavyūtimātrataḥ | uttamasthānamiti ca prakhyātaṃ dharaṇītale

Translation

ພຣະອີສະວະຣະກ່າວວ່າ: ຕໍ່ຈາກນັ້ນ ທາງເໜືອຈາກ ເທວະກຸລາ ໄປປະມານ 1 ກະວະຍູຕິ ມີສະຖານທີ່ອັນໂດງດັງໃນໂລກ ຊື່ວ່າ «ອຸດຕະມະສະຖານ» (ສະຖານທີ່ສູງສຸດ)។

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• uttare: to the north / in the northern side
• uttare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-विशेषणम् (in the northern [part])

• devakulāt: from the temple/abode of the gods
• devakulāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-kula (प्रातिपदिक; देव + कुल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• gavyūtimātrataḥ: at a distance of one gavyūti
• gavyūtimātrataḥ: Adhikarana (Measure/अधिकरण-परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: gavyūti-mātrā (प्रातिपदिक; गव्यूति + मात्रा)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; परिमाणवाचक (by the measure of a gavyūti)

• uttamasthānam: the excellent place
• uttamasthānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttama-sthāna (प्रातिपदिक; उत्तम + स्थान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• prakhyātam: renowned
• prakhyātam: Karta (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-khyā (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रख्यात’ = renowned

• dharaṇītale: on the surface of the earth
• dharaṇītale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī-tala (प्रातिपदिक; धरणी + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Uttamasthāna

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) Mahādevī / Pārvatī; possibly the broader frame includes sages, but verse explicitly begins with Īśvara speaking.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as narrator (Īśvara) indicates a northern path from a landmark called Devakula; a pilgrim map-like scene with a measured road, trees, and a distant shrine labeled Uttamasthāna.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devakula
• Uttamasthāna
• Gavyūti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text sacralizes geography by naming and measuring holy zones, guiding pilgrims toward spiritually charged destinations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Uttamasthāna, a famed sacred location near Devakula in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it provides direction and identification for pilgrims.