Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि नदीं चित्रपथां ततः । ब्रह्मकुण्डसमीपस्थां चित्रादित्यस्य मध्यतः

Transliteration

tato gacchenmahādevi nadīṃ citrapathāṃ tataḥ | brahmakuṇḍasamīpasthāṃ citrādityasya madhyataḥ

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം, ഹേ മഹാദേവി, ചിത്രപഥാ എന്ന നദിയിലേക്കു പോകണം; അത് ബ്രഹ്മകുണ്ഡത്തിനടുത്ത്, ചിത്രാദിത്യക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യഭാഗത്ത് സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देवी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• नदीम्: to the river
• नदीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चित्रपथाम्: named Citrapathā
• चित्रपथाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रपथा (प्रातिपदिक; चित्र + पथा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नदीम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (चित्रा पथा यस्याः)

• ततः: from there; then
• ततः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-क्रमसूचक (from there/thereafter)

• ब्रह्मकुण्डसमीपस्थाम्: situated near Brahma-kuṇḍa
• ब्रह्मकुण्डसमीपस्थाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मकुण्डसमीपस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मकुण्ड + समीप + स्थ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नदीम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मकुण्डस्य समीपे स्थिता)

• चित्रादित्यस्य: of Citrāditya
• चित्रादित्यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रादित्य (प्रातिपदिक; चित्र + आदित्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मध्यतः: from the middle; in the midst
• मध्यतः: Adverbial (स्थान-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्यतः (अव्यय; मध्य-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक/स्थानवाचक (from the middle; in the midst)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narration; traditionally Sūta narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citrāpathā-nadī (near Brahmakūṇḍa, Citrāditya-madhya)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devi is addressed as the guide points toward a gentle river (Citrāpathā) flowing beside a sacred pond (Brahmakūṇḍa); in the center stands a Sun shrine (Citrāditya) with radiating motifs; pilgrims proceed along a path with trees and flags.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Citrapathā (river)
• Brahmakūṇḍa
• Citrāditya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage dharma is mapped through sacred geography—moving from tīrtha to tīrtha with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Citrapathā river and Brahmakūṇḍa, within the Citrāditya area of Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā-instruction: ‘go/proceed’ to the specified river-tīrtha near Brahmakūṇḍa.