Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि तस्माद्दक्षिणतः स्थितम् । लक्ष्मणेशाच्च पूर्वस्मिंल्लिंगमष्टकुलेश्वरम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi tasmāddakṣiṇataḥ sthitam | lakṣmaṇeśācca pūrvasmiṃlliṃgamaṣṭakuleśvaram

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവി! തുടർന്ന് ആ സ്ഥാനത്തിന്റെ തെക്കുഭാഗത്ത് സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നതും ലക്ഷ്മണേശന്റെ കിഴക്കുഭാഗത്തുള്ളതുമായ ‘അഷ്ടകുലേശ്വര’ എന്ന ലിംഗത്തിലേക്ക് ഗമിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Sequence/Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): क्रम/स्थानवाचक ('then/from there')

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from there/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'from that (place)'

• दक्षिणतः: to the south; southwards
• दक्षिणतः: Adhikarana (Direction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिणतः (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (directional adverb)

• स्थितम्: situated
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (क्त-प्रत्यय, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'lying/situated' (liṅgaṃ qualifies)

• लक्ष्मणेशात्: from Lakṣmaṇeśa
• लक्ष्मणेशात्: Apadana (Reference point/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पूर्वस्मिन्: in the east; to the east
• पूर्वस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Direction)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशावाचक (in the east)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गच्छेत् इत्यस्य कर्म (object of going/visiting)

• अष्टकुलेश्वरम्: Aṣṭakuleśvara (name)
• अष्टकुलेश्वरम्: Karma (Apposition to liṅgam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper name of the liṅga)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṣṭakuleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Devī on the pilgrimage route; a stylized map-like composition shows two shrines: Lakṣmaṇeśa and, to its east, Aṣṭakuleśvara; the path turns south from the prior station, with pilgrims walking carrying water-pots and bilva leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī
• Aṣṭakuleśvara
• Lakṣmaṇeśa
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is taught as a guided sacred journey—moving from shrine to shrine with reverence and right orientation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, specifically the shrine of Aṣṭakuleśvara and its relation to Lakṣmaṇeśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directional prescription for the yātrā: go to Aṣṭakuleśvara located south of the prior spot and east of Lakṣmaṇeśa.