Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि लकुलीशं महाप्रभम् । तस्य पश्चिमदिग्भागे धनुषां सप्तके स्थितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi lakulīśaṃ mahāprabham | tasya paścimadigbhāge dhanuṣāṃ saptake sthitam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവി, തുടർന്ന് മഹാപ്രഭുവായ ലകുലീശനെ ദർശിക്കുവാൻ പോകണം. അദ്ദേഹം പടിഞ്ഞാറ് ദിക്കിലെ ഭാഗത്ത് ഏഴ് ധനുസ്സിന്റെ ദൂരത്തിൽ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘said’

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देश/कालवाचक) — adverb ‘then/from there’

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘should go’

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — vocative singular; कर्मधारयः (महती देवी)

• लकुलीशम्: Lakulīśa
• लकुलीशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लकुलीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative singular

• महाप्रभम्: the great lord, very splendid
• महाप्रभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषणम् (लकुलीशम्)

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — genitive singular

• पश्चिमदिग्भागे: in the western part/direction
• पश्चिमदिग्भागे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — locative singular; तत्पुरुषः (पश्चिमायाः दिशः भागः)

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Measure relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — genitive plural

• सप्तके: at a distance of seven (bows)
• सप्तके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — locative singular

• स्थितम्: situated, standing
• स्थितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक) कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — past participle used adjectivally; विशेषणम् (लकुलीशम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakulīśa-sthāna (within Prabhāsa Mahākṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Devī, pointing toward the western quarter of Prabhāsa; a shrine of Lakulīśa stands at a measured distance, with pilgrims preparing to walk the route.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī
• Lakulīśa
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a disciplined journey: moving from shrine to shrine in sacred geography under scriptural guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakulīśa’s sacred site within Prabhāsakṣetra, located toward the western quarter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā instruction: proceed to Lakulīśa, with directional and distance guidance (seven dhanuṣ).