Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ गुहामध्यनिवासिनी । देवी कात्यायनी यत्र शुंभदानवनाशिनी

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha guhāmadhyanivāsinī | devī kātyāyanī yatra śuṃbhadānavanāśinī

Translation

പുലസ്ത്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! തുടർന്ന് ഗുഹാമദ്ധ്യേ വസിക്കുന്ന, ശുംഭദാനവനാശിനിയായ ദേവി കാത്യായനി വിരാജിക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലത്തേക്ക് പോകണം.

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
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनन्तरार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: then/thereafter)

• 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 (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गुहा: cave
• गुहा: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (in compound), मूलतः प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन-रूपम्; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• मध्य: middle
• मध्य: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (in compound), समासाङ्ग

• निवासिनी: dwelling (resident)
• निवासिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-वास् (धातु) + इनी (प्रत्यय) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); वर्तमान-कर्तरि-प्रातिपदिक (agent noun: dweller)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कात्यायनी: Kātyāyanī
• कात्यायनी: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कात्यायनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); देवी-विशेषनाम

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)

• शुंभ: Śumbha
• शुंभ: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (in compound), समासाङ्ग

• दानव: demon
• दानव: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• नाशिनी: destroyer of Śumbha and the demons
• नाशिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) + इनी (प्रत्यय) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तरि-प्रातिपदिक (destroyer); समासः: शुंभ-दानव-नाशिनी (शुंभस्य दानवानां वा नाशिनी)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kātyāyanī-guha (cave shrine)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya points the way as the king’s retinue approaches a cave mouth adorned with garlands and lamps; within, Kātyāyanī stands radiant, weapons in hand, poised as Śumbha-slayer.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Kātyāyanī
• Śumbha
• Guhā (cave shrine)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is presented as guided dharma: one approaches the Devī’s abode to receive protection and spiritual strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A cave-dwelling shrine/seat of Devī Kātyāyanī in the Arbuda region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct prescription of yātrā: “one should go” (gacchet) to the Devī’s cave abode.