Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि स्थानं गंगापथेति च । यत्र गंगा महास्रोता गंगेश्वरः शिवस्तथा

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi sthānaṃ gaṃgāpatheti ca | yatra gaṃgā mahāsrotā gaṃgeśvaraḥ śivastathā

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവി, തുടർന്ന് ‘ഗംഗാപഥ’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ സ്ഥലത്തേക്കു പോകണം; അവിടെ മഹാസ്രോതസ്സായ ഗംഗ പ്രവഹിക്കുന്നു, അവിടെയേ ശിവനും ഗംഗേശ്വരരൂപത്തിൽ വിരാജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Apadana/Sequence (Sequence marker/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

• स्थानम्: a place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Goal/object of going/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गंगा-पथ: Gaṅgāpatha
• गंगा-पथ: Samjna (Name/apposition/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गंगा (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नामरूपेण (as a proper name)

• इति: called
• इति: Sambandha (Naming marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative: ‘called’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्धबोधक/स्थानवाचक relative adverb: where)

• गंगा: Gaṅgā (river)
• गंगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गंगा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महा-स्रोता: great-streaming, mighty-flowing
• महा-स्रोता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्रोता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गंगा)

• गंगेश्वरः: Gaṅgeśvara
• गंगेश्वरः: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गंगा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवालय/लिङ्गनाम

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/तुल्यताबोधक: likewise/also)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgāpatha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva points out Gaṅgāpatha: a river-course within Prabhāsa, flowing strongly; on its bank stands a Gaṅgeśvara liṅga-shrine; pilgrims approach with water pots.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Gaṅgā
• Gaṅgāpatha
• Gaṅgeśvara
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa links sacred waters and Śiva-linga presence, teaching that tīrtha and īśvara together intensify purification and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgāpatha, featuring Gaṅgā and the Śiva form known as Gaṅgeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction: “one should go” to Gaṅgāpatha; worship details follow in later verses.