Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि अनंगेश्वरमुत्तमम् । रत्नेश्वरादग्रतःस्थं धनुषान्तरमास्थितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi anaṃgeśvaramuttamam | ratneśvarādagrataḥsthaṃ dhanuṣāntaramāsthitam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—അതിനുശേഷം, ഹേ മഹാദേവി, രത്നേശ്വരന്റെ മുൻവശത്ത് ധനുസ്സിന്റെ അകലത്തിൽ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്ന ഉത്തമ അനംഗേശ്വരത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरं (then/thereafter)

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

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

• अनंगेश्वरम्: to Anaṅgeśvara
• अनंगेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('lord of Ananga/Kāmadeva'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अनंगेश्वरम्)

• रत्नेश्वरात्: from Ratneśvara
• रत्नेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अग्रतःस्थम्: standing in front
• अग्रतःस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय) + स्थ (कृदन्त; स्था धातोः)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (adverb + participle: 'standing in front'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अनंगेश्वरम्)

• धनुषान्तरम्: a bow-shot (distance)
• धनुषान्तरम्: Karman (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (measure: 'a bow-shot distance'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• आस्थितम्: situated
• आस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (situated/located)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Anaṅgeśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs the Goddess on pilgrimage: a map-like scene showing Ratneśvara shrine and, a short bowshot ahead, Anaṅgeśvara; pilgrims walking with offerings along a coastal/kshetra path.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Anaṅgeśvara
• Ratneśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a sacred journey: moving from shrine to shrine is itself a dhārmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Anaṅgeśvara in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, described in relation to Ratneśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction: ‘go’ (gacchet) to Anaṅgeśvara; the verse provides spatial guidance.