Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अजादेव्याश्चोत्तरतो धनुषां सप्तके स्थितम् । मंगलायाः समीपस्थं नातिदूरे व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

ajādevyāścottarato dhanuṣāṃ saptake sthitam | maṃgalāyāḥ samīpasthaṃ nātidūre vyavasthitam

Translation

അത് അജാദേവിയുടെ വടക്കുഭാഗത്ത്, ഏഴ് ധനുസ്സിന്റെ ദൂരത്തിൽ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു; മംഗളയുടെ സമീപത്തായി, അതിദൂരമല്ലാതെ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अजा-देव्याः: of Ajā-devī
• अजा-देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजा (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (अजा-देवी = Ajā-devī)

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

• उत्तरतः: to the north of
• उत्तरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्तरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (directional adverb)

• धनुषाम्: of bows
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• सप्तके: in the group of seven
• सप्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• स्थितम्: situated
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• मङ्गलायाः: of Maṅgalā
• मङ्गलायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मङ्गला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• समीपस्थम्: standing nearby; near
• समीपस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त; √स्था)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (समीपे स्थितम्); कृदन्त ‘स्थ’

• न-अति-दूरे: not very far away
• न-अति-दूरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय) + अति (अव्यय) + दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; सप्तमी-एकवचनार्थे (locative sense)

• व्यवस्थितम्: well-situated; placed
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva), continuing the pilgrimage description

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāhu-pratiṣṭhita-liṅga (located via Ajādevī and Maṅgalā)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s-eye map: Ajādevī shrine as a landmark, the path leading north a short measured distance, with Maṅgalā shrine nearby; the Rāhu-liṅga sits between these nodes, suggesting a sacred triangle of devī and liṅga sites.

Characters & Entities

• Ajādevī
• Maṅgalā
• Rāhu-pratiṣṭhita Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa sanctifies geography by making physical direction and distance part of devotional practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Rāhu-established liṅga in Prabhāsakṣetra, described relative to Ajādevī and Maṅgalā shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical locating instruction for pilgrims (north of Ajādevī; near Maṅgalā; seven bow-lengths away).