Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि लोमशेश्वरमुत्तमम् । दुःखान्तकारिणीपूर्वे धनुषां सप्तके स्थितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi lomaśeśvaramuttamam | duḥkhāntakāriṇīpūrve dhanuṣāṃ saptake sthitam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവി! തുടർന്ന് ദുഃഖാന്തകാരിണിയുടെ കിഴക്കായി ഏഴ് ധനുസ്സിന്റെ അകലത്തിൽ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്ന ഉത്തമ ലോമശേശ്വരനെ സമീപിക്കണം.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः महा + देवी (कर्मधारय)

• लोमशेश्वरम्: Lomaśeśvara (Lord of Lomaśa)
• लोमशेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमश + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोमशस्य ईश्वरः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (लोमशेश्वरम्)

• दुःखान्तकारिणी: in/at (the place) that ends sorrow
• दुःखान्तकारिणी: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + अन्त + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पूर्वे); समासः (दुःखस्य अन्तं करोति इति)

• पूर्वे: in the east/at the eastern side
• पूर्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक

• धनुषाम्: of bows
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• सप्तके: in the group of seven
• सप्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-समूहवाचक (set of seven)

• स्थितम्: situated, located
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (लोमशेश्वरम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lomaśeśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī: a sacred map-like scene showing Duḥkhāntakāriṇī shrine and, to its east, Lomaśeśvara; pilgrims walk a short measured distance through the kṣetra landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Lomaśeśvara
• Duḥkhāntakāriṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is taught as a guided, ordered approach to sacred sites, each linked to specific divine powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lomaśeśvara in Prabhāsakṣetra, located east of the Duḥkhāntakāriṇī shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā instruction: proceed from Duḥkhāntakāriṇī to Lomaśeśvara (a specified sacred route).