Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ श्रीमातां देववंदिताम् । सर्वकामप्रदां नृणामिहलोके परत्र च

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha śrīmātāṃ devavaṃditām | sarvakāmapradāṃ nṛṇāmihaloke paratra ca

Translation

പുലസ്ത്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! തുടർന്ന് ദേവന്മാർ വന്ദിക്കുന്ന ശ്രീമാതാവിന്റെ അടുക്കൽ പോകണം; അവൾ മനുഷ്യർക്കു ഇഹലോകത്തിലും പരലോകത്തിലും എല്ലാ അഭിലാഷങ്ങളും നൽകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

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

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रीमाताम्: the auspicious Mother (Goddess)
• श्रीमाताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• देववन्दिताम्: praised by the gods
• देववन्दिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + वन्दित (वन्द्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• सर्वकामप्रदाम्: granting all desires
• सर्वकामप्रदाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + प्रद (प्रदा) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इहलोके: in this world
• इहलोके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इह + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• परत्र: in the other world; hereafter
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देश/कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīmātā-kṣetra (on Arbuda)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Pulastya instructs a king: ‘Go to Śrīmātā’; in the background rises the sacred mountain with a Devī shrine, flags fluttering, pilgrims ascending steps.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Śrīmātā (Devī)
• Devas
• King (listener, unspecified)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to the Divine Mother is presented as a dharmic path that supports both material well-being and spiritual destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred seat/shrine of Śrīmātā Devī in the Arbuda (mountain) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct prescription of yātrā—‘one should go’—implying devotional visitation and worship of Śrīmātā.