Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्मादाग्नेयदिग्भागे स्थितः कर्कोटको रविः । पूर्वकल्पे महादेवि स्मृतः कर्कोटकान्वितः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasmādāgneyadigbhāge sthitaḥ karkoṭako raviḥ | pūrvakalpe mahādevi smṛtaḥ karkoṭakānvitaḥ

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവീ! അവിടെ നിന്ന് അഗ്നേയ ദിക്കുഭാഗത്തിൽ ‘കർക്കോടക’ എന്ന രവി പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതനായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; മുൻകല്പത്തിൽ അവൻ കർക്കോടകസഹിതനായി സ്മരിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

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

• तस्मात्: from there; from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (अर्थे 'from that')

• आग्नेयदिग्भागे: in the south-east direction-part
• आग्नेयदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (आग्नेयायां दिशि भागः)

• स्थितः: situated; standing
• स्थितः: Kriya/State (अवस्था)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• कर्कोटकः: Karkoṭaka
• कर्कोटकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्कोटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• रविः: the Sun
• रविः: Apposition/Predicate noun
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (समाधिकरण)

• पूर्वकल्पे: in a former aeon
• पूर्वकल्पे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; (पूर्व + कल्प) कर्मधारय

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

• स्मृतः: remembered; known as
• स्मृतः: Kriya/State (अवस्था)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• कर्कोटकान्वितः: associated with Karkoṭaka
• कर्कोटकान्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्कोटक + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कर्कोटकेन अन्वितः = endowed/associated with Karkoṭaka)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karkoṭakārka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Mahādevī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Devī, pointing toward the southeast of Prabhāsa where a radiant Sūrya icon stands with a subtle serpent (Karkoṭaka) emblem—either as canopy/hood motif or coiled base—signifying ancient association.

Characters & Entities

• Karkoṭaka
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra sanctifies multiple deities; even Sūrya has a consecrated presence mapped into the sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sūrya presence/shrine called Karkoṭaka (Karkoṭakārka) in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the site and its ancient association.