Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि भूतनाथेश्वरं हरम् । कुण्डेश्वर्या ईशभागे धनुषां विंशकेऽन्तरे

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi bhūtanātheśvaraṃ haram | kuṇḍeśvaryā īśabhāge dhanuṣāṃ viṃśake'ntare

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—അതിനുശേഷം, ഹേ മഹാദേവി, ഭൂതനാഥേശ്വരൻ എന്നറിയപ്പെടുന്ന ഹരനെ ദർശിക്കുവാൻ പോകണം. അത് കുണ്ഡേശ്വരിയിൽ നിന്ന് ഈശാന ദിക്കിൽ ഇരുപത് ധനുസ്സിന്റെ അകലെയുണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् इत्यर्थे (ablatival adverb: ‘then/thereafter’)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Injunctive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (‘महा देवी’); स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• भूतनाथ-ईश्वरम्: the Lord of Bhūtanātha
• भूतनाथ-ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतनाथ (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘भूतनाथस्य ईश्वरः’); पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• हरम्: Hara (Śiva)
• हरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘भूतनाथेश्वरम्’ इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

• कुण्डेश्वर्याः: of Kuṇḍeśvarī
• कुण्डेश्वर्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• ईश-भागे: in the portion/quarter of Īśa (northeast)
• ईश-भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘ईशस्य भागः’); पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Measure/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; परिमाणवाचक-सम्बन्धः

• विंशके: at (a distance of) twenty
• विंशके: Adhikarana (Measure-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘विंशति-परिमाणे’

• अन्तरे: in between; within
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘मध्ये’ इत्यर्थे

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhūtanātheśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Mahādevī, pointing toward the Īśāna direction; a small shrine of Bhūtanātheśvara appears ahead, with a path measured by markers; pilgrims follow with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī
• Bhūtanātheśvara
• Hara
• Kuṇḍeśvarī
• Īśa direction (northeast)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa pilgrimage is a guided sacred itinerary where devotion is expressed by moving from one sanctified shrine to another as instructed by Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhūtanātheśvara (a Śiva form) within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, located relative to Kuṇḍeśvarī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā instruction: proceed to Bhūtanātheśvara, specifying direction (Īśa/northeast) and distance (twenty dhanus).