Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि कपिलेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तस्यैव पूर्वदिग्भागे नातिदूरे व्यव स्थितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi kapileśvaramuttamam | tasyaiva pūrvadigbhāge nātidūre vyava sthitam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവി, തുടർന്ന് ഉത്തമമായ കപിലേശ്വരത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം. അത് അതേ സ്ഥലത്തിന്റെ കിഴക്കുദിക്കുഭാഗത്ത്, അതിദൂരമല്ലാതെ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• 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), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक (adverb: 'then/from there')

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• कपिलेश्वरम्: Kapileśvara
• कपिलेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कपिलस्य ईश्वरः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तस्य: of that (place/deity)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (particle: 'indeed/just')

• पूर्वदिग्भागे: in the eastern quarter/part
• पूर्वदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पूर्वायाः दिशः भागः / पूर्वदिशि भागः)

• नातिदूरे: not very far (away)
• नातिदूरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न + अति + दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (न अति दूरम् → not very far)

• व्यवस्थितम्: situated/established
• व्यवस्थितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapileśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī on the next pilgrimage step: a short journey eastward to Kapileśvara, suggesting a mapped sacred landscape with proximate shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Kapileśvara
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced through sacred travel—approaching holy Śaiva sites with intention and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapileśvara at Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The instruction is to go/visit (darśana-yātrā) Kapileśvara; no specific vow is stated in this verse.