Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि च्यवनार्कमनुत्तमम् । हिरण्यापूर्वभागस्थं च्यवनेन प्रतिष्ठितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi cyavanārkamanuttamam | hiraṇyāpūrvabhāgasthaṃ cyavanena pratiṣṭhitam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—അനന്തരം, ഹേ മഹാദേവി, ഹിരണ്യയുടെ കിഴക്കുഭാഗത്ത് സ്ഥിതിചെയ്തും ച്യവനമുനിയാൽ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതവുമായ അത്യുത്തമമായ ച്യവനാർക (സൂര്യ-തീർത്ഥം) സന്ദർശിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देश/काल-निर्देशक-अव्ययम् (then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; “should go”

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारयः) — ‘महती देवी’; स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• च्यवनार्कम्: Cyavana-Arka (a sacred Sun shrine)
• च्यवनार्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: च्यवन + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘च्यवनस्य अर्कः’ (Cyavana’s Sun/Arka); पुल्लिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed; excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुल्लिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘च्यवनार्कम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हिरण्यापूर्वभागस्थम्: situated in the eastern part of Hiraṇyā
• हिरण्यापूर्वभागस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्या + पूर्वभाग + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक); स्थ ← स्था (धातु)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘हिरण्यायाः पूर्वभागे स्थितम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुल्लिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘च्यवनार्कम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च्यवनेन: by Cyavana
• च्यवनेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: च्यवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुल्लिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘च्यवनार्कम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cyavanārka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Mahādevī, pointing toward a radiant Sun-shrine (Arka) established by ṛṣi Cyavana on the eastern side of a place called Hiraṇyā; pilgrims approach with offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Mahādevī
• Cyavana
• Cyavanārka
• Hiraṇyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a sanctified Sūrya-sthāna, founded by a revered ṛṣi, is upheld as a dharmic path that connects devotee, deity, and sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cyavanārka, a Sun-shrine established by the sage Cyavana, located in the eastern part of Hiraṇyā within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage directive: ‘one should go’ (gacchet) to Cyavanārka; further worship details appear in the following verses.