Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1
ईश्वर उवाच । तत्रैव संस्थिता देवि महाकालीति विश्रुता । अधः स्थिते महापीठे पातालविवरान्विते
īśvara uvāca | tatraiva saṃsthitā devi mahākālīti viśrutā | adhaḥ sthite mahāpīṭhe pātālavivarānvite
ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ ദേവി, അവിടെയേ ‘മഹാകാളി’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധയായ ദേവി വസിക്കുന്നു; താഴെയിരിക്കുന്ന മഹാപീഠം പാതാളത്തിലേക്കുള്ള വിവരം ഉൾക്കൊള്ളുന്നതാണ്।
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Mahākālī Mahāpīṭha (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘devi’, ‘surasundarī’)
Scene: Śiva narrates to Devī about a subterranean Mahāpīṭha at Prabhāsa where Mahākālī abides; the ground shows a dark cleft or cave-mouth suggesting a pātāla-opening, with a fierce yet protective Devī presence.
FAQs
The Purāṇa maps divinity onto sacred geography, identifying specific power-centers (pīṭhas) where the Goddess is said to abide.
A Mahāpīṭha within Prabhāsakṣetra, associated with Mahākālī and described as having a Pātāla-linked opening.
None in this verse; it introduces the location and presence of Mahākālī.