Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्मादीशानदिग्भागे धनुषां षोडशांतरे । त्र्यंबकेश्वरनामा च तत्र रुद्रः स्थितः स्वयम्

Transliteration

tasmādīśānadigbhāge dhanuṣāṃ ṣoḍaśāṃtare | tryaṃbakeśvaranāmā ca tatra rudraḥ sthitaḥ svayam

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഈശാന (വടക്കുകിഴക്ക്) ദിക്കിൽ പതിനാറു ധനുസ്സുകളുടെ അകലത്തിൽ, ‘ത്ര്യമ്പകേശ്വരൻ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ സ്വയം രുദ്രൻ അവിടെ വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from there
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनार्थे (ablatival adverbial) — 'from there/from that'

• ईशानदिग्भागे: in the north-east quarter/part
• ईशानदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—ईशानायाः दिशः भागः

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Measure relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• षोडशान्तरे: at a distance of sixteen (bows)
• षोडशान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/Measure/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षोडश + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; द्विगुः—षोडश (16) + अन्तर (interval)

• त्र्यम्बकेश्वरनामा: named Tryambakeśvara
• त्र्यम्बकेश्वरनामा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्र्यम्बकेश्वर + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'त्र्यम्बकेश्वरः नाम यस्य सः'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थितः: is situated
• स्थितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'standing/abiding'

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Emphasis/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive/emphatic adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tryambakeśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim path from Kapāleśvara to the north-east; a small shrine where Rudra is said to abide as Tryambakeśvara; the distance is marked as ‘sixteen bow-lengths’.

Characters & Entities

• Tryambakeśvara
• Rudra
• Īśāna-dik (north-east)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa maps holiness onto geography: specific directions and distances guide devotees to Rudra’s manifest presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tryambakeśvara (Rudra’s site) within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directional and distance marker is given—go to the Īśāna quarter, sixteen bow-lengths away—to reach the Tryambakeśvara shrine.