Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । मार्कण्डेश्वरतो देवि उत्तरे लिंगमुत्तमम् । धनुषां पञ्चदशभिर्गौतमेश्वरनामकम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | mārkaṇḍeśvarato devi uttare liṃgamuttamam | dhanuṣāṃ pañcadaśabhirgautameśvaranāmakam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ ദേവീ! മാർകണ്ഡേശ്വരത്തിന്റെ വടക്കായി പതിനഞ്ച് ധനുസ്സിന്റെ അകലത്തിൽ ‘ഗൗതമേശ്വരം’ എന്ന ഉത്തമ ലിംഗം സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു।

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मार्कण्डेश्वरतः: from (the place of) Mārkaṇḍeśvara
• मार्कण्डेश्वरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• उत्तरे: to the north
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘(दिशि) उत्तरे’ = in the north; अव्ययीभावार्थे स्थानवाचक

• लिङ्गम्: a liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Implied ‘asti’)/Visheshya
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Measure relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; परिमाण/मापनसंबन्धे

• पञ्चदशभिः: by fifteen
• पञ्चदशभिः: Karana (Instrument/Measure)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चदश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘धनुषाम्’ इत्यनेन सह मापनम्

• गौतमेश्वरनामकम्: named Gautameśvara
• गौतमेश्वरनामकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of liṅgam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गौतम-ईश्वर-नामक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गौतमेश्वर इति नाम यस्य)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautameśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks to Devī, pointing northward from the Mārkaṇḍeśvara shrine; in the background, a small liṅga-shrine labeled Gautameśvara, with pilgrims measuring distance by ‘dhanus’.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī
• Mārkaṇḍeśvara
• Gautameśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa sanctifies geography by mapping divine presences—specific liṅgas—into a walkable pilgrimage landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gautameśvara liṅga in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, described relative to Mārkaṇḍeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it provides location guidance for pilgrims.