Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्मादाग्नेयकोणे तु मार्कंडेयसमीपगम् । गुहालिंगं महादेवि नीलकण्ठेति विश्रुतम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasmādāgneyakoṇe tu mārkaṃḍeyasamīpagam | guhāliṃgaṃ mahādevi nīlakaṇṭheti viśrutam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവീ! അവിടെ നിന്ന് അഗ്നേയ ദിക്കിൽ, മാർക്കണ്ഡേയന്റെ സമീപത്ത് ‘ഗുഹാലിംഗം’ ഉണ്ട്; അത് ‘നീലകണ്ഠ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तस्मात्: from that (place)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• आग्नेय-कोणे: in the south-east corner
• आग्नेय-कोणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक) + कोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed/and (emphatic)
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• मार्कण्डेय-समीप-गम्: situated near Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेय-समीप-गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक) + समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying)

• गुहा-लिङ्गम्: the Guha-liṅga (name of a liṅga)
• गुहा-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नीलकण्ठ: Nīlakaṇṭha (blue-throated)
• नीलकण्ठ: Samjna/Predicate (Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नाम (appellative)

• इति: thus/as
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतम्: well-known/renowned
• विश्रुतम्: Predicate adjective (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guhā-liṅga (Nīlakaṇṭha)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks to Mahādevī, pointing out a south-eastern route to a cave-liṅga called Nīlakaṇṭha near the sage Mārkaṇḍeya’s abode; the landscape suggests coastal groves and rocky hollows.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Guhāliṅga
• Nīlakaṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames pilgrimage as guided movement through a sacred landscape where specific shrines carry distinct divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Guhāliṅga, famed as Nīlakaṇṭha, near Mārkaṇḍeya in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse primarily gives sacred-location instruction.