Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

गोपादित्यात्तथाग्नेय्यां ध्रुवेशाद्दक्षिणां श्रितम् । सर्वपापहरं देवि पूर्वभागे व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

gopādityāttathāgneyyāṃ dhruveśāddakṣiṇāṃ śritam | sarvapāpaharaṃ devi pūrvabhāge vyavasthitam

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി! ഗോപാദിത്യത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ആഗ്നേയ ദിശയിലായി, ധ്രുവേശ്വരന്റെ തെക്കുഭാഗത്ത് ഇത് സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു; കിഴക്കുഭാഗത്ത് പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതമായി സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളും ഹരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• गोपादित्यात्: from Gopāditya
• गोपादित्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोपस्य आदित्यः)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also/likewise’

• आग्नेय्याम्: in the southeast
• आग्नेय्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; दिक्/दिशावाचक (southeast direction)

• ध्रुवेशात्: from Dhruveśa
• ध्रुवेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ध्रुवस्य ईशः)

• दक्षिणाम्: the southern (side/direction)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; दिशावाचक (southward side)

• श्रितम्: situated; resorting to
• श्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रि (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘आश्रितम्’ अर्थे— ‘having resorted to/located in’

• सर्वपापहरम्: removing all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वपापानां हरः)

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• पूर्वभागे: in the eastern part
• पूर्वभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितम्: situated
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāśupateśvara (context) / Saṃtoṣeśvara (as clarified next verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim consults a sacred map: markers for Gopāditya and Dhruveśa, then a path to the southeast/south leading to an eastern-quarter liṅga shrine glowing with purificatory light; devotees wash hands and offer bilva.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Gopāditya
• Dhruveśa
• Pāśupateśvara (implied)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text sacralizes geography: directions and neighboring shrines become part of a devotional map leading to purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sin-destroying Śiva site in the eastern sector of Prabhāsa, described via its position near Gopāditya and Dhruveśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it provides pilgrimage navigation and asserts the fruit of visiting (sarva-pāpa-hara).