Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि विचित्रेश्वरमुत्तमम् । हिरण्यातीरनिलयं महापातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi vicitreśvaramuttamam | hiraṇyātīranilayaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവി! തുടർന്ന് ഹിരണ്യാ നദീതീരത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന, മഹാപാതകനാശകനായ പരമ വിചിത്രേശ്വരനെ ദർശിക്കുവാൻ പോകണം।

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानवाचक (then/from there)

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

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

• विचित्रेश्वरम्: Vicitreśvara
• विचित्रेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विचित्रः ईश्वरः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Karman (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विचित्रेश्वरम्)

• हिरण्यातीरनिलयम्: dwelling on the Hiraṇyā riverbank
• हिरण्यातीरनिलयम्: Karman (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक) + निलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हिरण्यतीरे निलयः यस्य) विशेषणम् (विचित्रेश्वरम्)

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Karman (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महापातकस्य नाशनम्) विशेषणम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vicitreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara instructs Devī to proceed to Vicitreśvara: a luminous Śiva figure gesturing toward a riverside liṅga shrine on the Hiraṇyā bank, with pilgrims approaching in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī
• Vicitreśvara
• Hiraṇyā-tīra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to Śiva-lingas in sanctified landscapes is upheld as a means of moral purification and release from heavy karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vicitreśvara at Hiraṇyā-tīra within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to visit (gacchet) Vicitreśvara; further ritual details appear in subsequent verses.