Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्य समीपस्थं तीर्थं गोवत्ससंज्ञितम् । यत्रावतीर्य गोवत्सस्वरूपेणांबिकापतिः

Transliteration

tatastasya samīpasthaṃ tīrthaṃ govatsasaṃjñitam | yatrāvatīrya govatsasvarūpeṇāṃbikāpatiḥ

Translation

അതിനടുത്ത് ‘ഗോവത്സ’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള തീർത്ഥം ഉണ്ട്; അവിടെ അംബികാപതി കാളക്കുട്ടിയുടെ രൂപം ധരിച്ചു അവതരിച്ചുവെന്ന് പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kāla/Apādāna (Temporal/Source adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘thereupon/then/from there’

• तस्य: of that (place/it)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive)

• समीपस्थम्: situated nearby
• समीपस्थम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समीपे स्थितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘tīrtham’)

• तीर्थम्: a tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karta/Viṣaya (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गोवत्ससंज्ञितम्: called ‘Govatsa’
• गोवत्ससंज्ञितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोवत्स + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गोवत्स इति संज्ञा यस्य/गोवत्स-नामक); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘tīrtham’)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb) ‘where’

• अवतीर्य: having descended
• अवतीर्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु) → अवतीर्य (क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive), अव्यय; ‘having descended’

• गोवत्सस्वरूपेण: in the form of a calf
• गोवत्सस्वरूपेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवत्स + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गोवत्सस्य स्वरूपम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental: ‘in the form of’)

• अंबिकापतिः: Ambikā’s lord (Śiva)
• अंबिकापतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंबिका + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अंबिकायाः पतिः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Govatsa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank near Dvāravatī, a luminous calf stands beside a small shrine/stone; devotees and ascetics recognize the epiphany of Ambikāpati; the scene blends tenderness with awe.

Characters & Entities

• Govatsa Tīrtha
• Ambikāpati (Śiva)
• Dvāravatī Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s compassion expresses itself through approachable forms; even a simple ‘calf-form’ descent can sanctify a place for all pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Govatsa Tīrtha near Dvāravatī in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse implies reverent visitation and remembrance of Śiva’s descent at Govatsa.