Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि यत्र प्राची सरस्वती । तत्र स्थाने स्थितं लिंगं मंकीश्वरमिति श्रुतम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi yatra prācī sarasvatī | tatra sthāne sthitaṃ liṃgaṃ maṃkīśvaramiti śrutam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവി! തുടർന്ന് സരസ്വതി കിഴക്കോട്ടു പ്രവഹിക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലത്തേക്കു പോകണം. അവിടെ ‘മങ്കീശ്വര’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിതമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (then/from there)

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

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• प्राची: eastern; flowing eastward
• प्राची: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying sarasvatī)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (river)
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• स्थितम्: situated; standing
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying liṅgam)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• मंकीश्वरम्: Maṃkīśvara
• मंकीश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃkī-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; maṃkī + īśvara)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; नाम (proper name of the liṅga)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (thus)

• श्रुतम्: is heard/known (as)
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (heard/known)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṃkīśvara (liṅga at prācī Sarasvatī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī on a pilgrimage step: the east-flowing Sarasvatī glimmers; on its bank stands the Maṃkīśvara liṅga, simple yet radiant, with tīrtha-travelers approaching.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Sarasvatī (river)
• Maṃkīśvara (liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha-map of Prabhāsa links rivers and liṅgas, teaching that nature’s sacred currents guide the seeker to Śiva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṃkīśvara liṅga, located where the Sarasvatī is described as flowing eastward.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive to go/visit the site for darśana of Maṃkīśvara.