Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि यत्र देवीकुमारिका । तस्यैव पूर्वदिग्भागे स्थिता रक्षार्थमेव हि

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi yatra devīkumārikā | tasyaiva pūrvadigbhāge sthitā rakṣārthameva hi

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവി! തുടർന്ന് ദേവീ കുമാരികാ വിരാജിക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലത്തേക്ക് പോകണം; അതേ പ്രദേശത്തിന്റെ കിഴക്കുഭാഗത്ത് അവൾ രക്ഷാർത്ഥം തന്നെ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു।

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/हेतुवाचक (then/from there)

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

• महा-देवि: O great goddess
• महा-देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adverbial (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (relative adverb ‘where’)

• देवी-कुमारिका: the goddess Kumārikā
• देवी-कुमारिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक) + कुमारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तस्य: of that (place/her)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• पूर्व-दिक्-भागे: in the eastern part/direction
• पूर्व-दिक्-भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—पूर्वायां दिशि भागः

• स्थिताः: is situated/standing
• स्थिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (पाठे ‘स्थिता’)

• रक्षा-अर्थम्: for protection
• रक्षा-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक (particle ‘for/indeed’)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devī Kumārikā-sthāna (Prabhāsa eastern quarter)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara instructs Devī: a map-like sacred landscape with an eastern shrine where youthful Devī Kumārikā stands as guardian; pilgrims approach with lamps at dawn.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī
• Devī Kumārikā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a protective sacred landscape: the Goddess is stationed to guard devotees and the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The locale of Devī Kumārikā within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically indicated as lying to the east.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction—‘one should go’ to the place of Devī Kumārikā; no further rite is detailed in this verse.