Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि कपिलेश्वरमुत्तमम् । शीराभूषणपूर्वेण कोटितीर्थाच्च पश्चिमे

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi kapileśvaramuttamam | śīrābhūṣaṇapūrveṇa koṭitīrthācca paścime

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവി! തുടർന്ന് ഉത്തമമായ കപിലേശ്വരത്തിലേക്ക് ഗമിക്കണം. അത് കോടിതീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ പടിഞ്ഞാറും ശീരാഭൂഷണത്തിന്റെ കിഴക്കുമാണ്।

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/हेतुवाचक (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महती देवी)

• कपिलेश्वरम्: Kapileśvara
• कपिलेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कपिलस्य ईश्वरः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कपिलेश्वरम् प्रति)

• शीराभूषणपूर्वेण: to the east of Śīrābhūṣaṇa
• शीराभूषणपूर्वेण: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीर + आभूषण + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (मार्ग/देश-विशेषणरूपेण), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शीराभूषणस्य पूर्वेण)

• कोटितीर्थात्: from Koṭitīrtha
• कोटितीर्थात्: Apadana (Reference point/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कोटि-तीर्थम्)

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

• पश्चिमे: in the west/to the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देशवाचक

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapileśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Mahādevī, pointing across a coastal sacred map: Koṭitīrtha on one side, Śīrābhūṣaṇa on the other, with Kapileśvara shrine centered as the destination.

Characters & Entities

• Kapileśvara
• Koṭitīrtha
• Śīrābhūṣaṇa
• Mahādevī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are mapped and remembered as living sacred geography; approaching Kapileśvara is itself presented as a dharmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapileśvara in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, located between Koṭitīrtha and Śīrābhūṣaṇa as described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general injunction to go (yātrā/visit) to Kapileśvara; no specific rite is detailed in this verse.