Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्मान्नारायणात्पूर्वे किंचिदीशानसंस्थितम् । मूलचण्डीशनाम्ना तु विख्यातं भुवनत्रयं

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasmānnārāyaṇātpūrve kiṃcidīśānasaṃsthitam | mūlacaṇḍīśanāmnā tu vikhyātaṃ bhuvanatrayaṃ

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ആ നാരായണനുമുമ്പേ ഈശാനധാമത്തിൽ ഒരു തത്ത്വം സ്ഥാപിതമുണ്ട്; ‘മൂലചണ്ഡീശ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ അത് ത്രിലോകത്തിലും പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• tasmāt: from that
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine/neuter pronominal), पञ्चमी विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम् (singular)

• nārāyaṇāt: from Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), पञ्चमी विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम् (singular)

• pūrve: before (earlier)
• pūrve: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), सप्तमी विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम् (singular); कालवाचक-विशेषणम् (temporal: ‘earlier/before’)

• kiṃcit: something
• kiṃcit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular); अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite: ‘something’)

• īśānasaṃsthitam: situated in Īśāna (region/direction)
• īśānasaṃsthitam: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īśāna-saṃsthita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; ‘Īśāna’ + ‘situated/established’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying kiṃcit)

• mūlacaṇḍīśanāmnā: by the name ‘Mūlacaṇḍīśa’
• mūlacaṇḍīśanāmnā: Karana (Means/Designation/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla-caṇḍīśa-nāman (प्रातिपदिक; ‘root/original’ + ‘Caṇḍīśa’ + ‘name’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), तृतीया विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (singular); नामवाचक-प्रयोगः (by the name)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधान/विरोधसूचक (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• vikhyātam: well-known
• vikhyātam: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-khyā (कृदन्त; ख्या-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); विशेषणम् (qualifying kiṃcit)

• bhuvanatrayam: the three worlds
• bhuvanatrayam: Karma (Object/Scope/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuvana-traya (प्रातिपदिक; ‘world’ + ‘three’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mūlacaṇḍīśa (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks of a primordial shrine in the Īśāna quarter, named Mūlacaṇḍīśa, radiating fame across the three worlds; the landscape hints at coastal Prabhāsa sanctity with a subtle NE directional emphasis.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Nārāyaṇa
• Īśāna
• Mūlacaṇḍīśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred space is ordered and meaningful—Śiva identifies a renowned shrine (Mūlacaṇḍīśa) as a key locus within the kṣetra’s spiritual geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mūlacaṇḍīśa, a famed sacred presence within Prabhāsa Kṣetra, associated with the Īśāna domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse introduces the shrine/location and its renown.