Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । सांबादित्याच्च पूर्वेण किञ्चिदाग्नेयसंस्थितः । अपरनारायणोनाम यस्मान्नास्ति परो भुवि

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | sāṃbādityācca pūrveṇa kiñcidāgneyasaṃsthitaḥ | aparanārāyaṇonāma yasmānnāsti paro bhuvi

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—സാംബാദിത്യത്തിന്റെ കിഴക്കുവശത്ത്, അല്പം അഗ്നേയ ദിശയിൽ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്ന ‘അപരനാരായണ’ എന്ന പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രമുണ്ട്; ഭൂമിയിൽ അതിനേക്കാൾ ഉന്നതം ഇല്ല।

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सांबादित्याच्: from Sāmbāditya
• सांबादित्याच्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांबादित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

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

• पूर्वेण: to the east/by the east (side)
• पूर्वेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; दिशावाचक

• किञ्चित्: a little
• किञ्चित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययार्थे ‘somewhat/a little’ (degree)

• आग्नेयसंस्थितः: situated in the south-east (Agni’s direction)
• आग्नेयसंस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थित (कृदन्त; सम्+स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः; संस्थितः = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) “situated/placed”

• अपरनारायणः: Apara-Nārāyaṇa
• अपरनारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक) + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (name)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (designation marker)

• यस्मात्: from whom/because of whom
• यस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे हेत्वर्थे (relative: “from whom/because of whom”)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परः: superior/greater
• परः: Karta (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तुलनार्थक (superior/other)

• भुवि: on earth/in the world
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aparanārāyaṇa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks to Devī, pointing out a sacred spot named Aparanārāyaṇa, described by directional markers from Sāmbāditya within the sandy coastal Prabhāsa landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Sāmbāditya
• Aparanārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa sanctifies geography: proximity and direction from one tīrtha to another forms a sacred pilgrimage map.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aparanārāyaṇa, located east and slightly southeast of Sāmbāditya in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this opening verse; it introduces the location and its unsurpassed sanctity.