Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेद्वरारोहे कपालेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तस्या उत्तरदिग्भागे सुरगंधर्वपूजितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchedvarārohe kapāleśvaramuttamam | tasyā uttaradigbhāge suragaṃdharvapūjitam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—അനന്തരം, ഹേ വരാരോഹേ, ഉത്തമമായ കപാലേശ്വരത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം. അതിന്റെ ഉത്തരദിക്കുഭാഗത്ത് അത് ദേവന്മാരും ഗന്ധർവന്മാരും പൂജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (thereafter/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आदेश/विधानार्थ

• वरारोहे: O fair-hipped one
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरारोहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समास: वर + आरोहा (‘fair-hipped/beautifully mounted’)

• कपालेश्वरम्: Kapāleśvara (a Śiva-linga)
• कपालेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समास: कपाल + ईश्वर (‘Lord of the skull’)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (कपालेश्वरम्)

• तस्याः: of it/of that (place)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• उत्तरदिग्भागे: in the northern part
• उत्तरदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तरदिग्भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समास: उत्तर + दिक् + भाग (‘in the northern direction-part’)

• सुरगंधर्वपूजितम्: worshipped by gods and gandharvas
• सुरगंधर्वपूजितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरगंधर्वपूजित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त: पूजित (क्त) with compound agent: सुर + गंधर्व; विशेषण (कपालेश्वरम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī to proceed to Kapāleśvara; a sacred map-like vision of Prabhāsa appears, with the Kapāleśvara shrine glowing in the northern quarter, attended by celestial Gandharvas offering music and flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Varārohā (Pārvatī)
• Kapāleśvara
• Suras
• Gandharvas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage (tīrthayātrā) to Śiva-sites is presented as a guided dharmic path within sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara in Prabhāsakṣetra, especially its northern sector revered by celestial beings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct pilgrimage instruction: ‘one should go’ to Kapāleśvara.