Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि कुन्तीश्वरमनुत्तमम् । सावित्र्याः पूर्वभागस्थं खातमध्ये व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi kuntīśvaramanuttamam | sāvitryāḥ pūrvabhāgasthaṃ khātamadhye vyavasthitam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—അതിനുശേഷം, ഹേ മഹാദേവീ, സാവിത്രിയുടെ കിഴക്കുഭാഗത്ത്, ഖാതം/കുണ്ടത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതമായ അനുത്തമ കുന്തീശ്വരനിലേക്കു പോകണം.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/हेतुवाचक (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (महती देवी)

• कुन्तीश्वरम्: Kuntīśvara
• कुन्तीश्वरम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्ती-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुन्त्याः ईश्वरः)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (unsurpassed)

• सावित्र्याः: of Sāvitrī
• सावित्र्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• पूर्वभागस्थम्: situated in the eastern part
• पूर्वभागस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-भाग-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः तत्पुरुष (पूर्वे भागे स्थितम्)

• खातमध्ये: in the middle of a pit/trench
• खातमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खात-मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (खातस्य मध्ये)

• व्यवस्थितम्: well situated
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यवस्थित (√स्था; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण (well-established/placed)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuntīśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī about a hidden liṅga shrine: Kuntīśvara, set within a central trench/pit; the shrine appears slightly sunken, with steps leading down, lamps glowing, and pilgrims descending for darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Kuntīśvara
• Sāvitrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a disciplined spiritual journey: the devotee is directed to specific, sanctified locations where Śiva is specially present.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kuntīśvara in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described relative to the place/shrine named Sāvitrī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is tīrtha-yātrā: “one should go” (gacchet) to Kuntīśvara; no further rite is stated in this verse.