Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्मादुत्तरभागे तु स्थानात्कौरवसंज्ञकात् । भद्रकाली महादेवि तपः कृत्वा सुदुस्तरम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasmāduttarabhāge tu sthānātkauravasaṃjñakāt | bhadrakālī mahādevi tapaḥ kṛtvā sudustaram

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവീ! ‘കൗരവ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന ആ സ്ഥലത്തിന്റെ ഉത്തരഭാഗത്ത് ഭദ്രകാളി അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരമായ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

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

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

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• उत्तरभागे: in the northern part
• उत्तरभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर-भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—उत्तरस्य भागः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• स्थानात्: from the place
• स्थानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• कौरवसंज्ञकात्: called ‘Kaurava’
• कौरवसंज्ञकात्: Visheshana (Qualifier) of अपादान
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौरव-संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक; कौरव + संज्ञक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् स्थानात्; समासः—कौरव-इति संज्ञा यस्य (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• भद्रकाली: Bhadrakālī
• भद्रकाली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रकाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• सुदुस्तरम्: very difficult (to perform/cross)
• सुदुस्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दुस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् तपः; समासः—सु (अव्यय) + दुस्तर (अव्ययीभाव)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhadrakālī-tapas-sthāna (north of 'Kaurava' marker)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed as 'mahādevi')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhadrakālī in ascetic posture performing fierce tapas in a northern grove/clearing near Prabhāsa; minimal ornaments, matted hair or austere crown; a subtle aura; the landscape suggests coastal scrub and sacred markers.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Bhadrakālī
• Kaurava (place-name)
• Prabhāsakṣetra
• Nyaṅkumatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred site is sanctified by divine austerity; tapas is presented as a source of spiritual potency that establishes tīrtha-glory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A northern location near the place-name ‘Kaurava’ within Prabhāsakṣetra’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; it introduces Bhadrakālī’s tapas as the basis for the site’s sanctity.