Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि भैरवेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तस्यैव वह्निकोणस्थं धनुषांदशके स्थितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi bhairaveśvaramuttamam | tasyaiva vahnikoṇasthaṃ dhanuṣāṃdaśake sthitam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—അതിനുശേഷം, മഹാദേവീ, ഉത്തമനായ ഭൈരവേശ്വരനെ ദർശിക്കുവാൻ പോകണം. അവൻ അതേ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ അഗ്നികോണത്തിൽ (തെക്കുകിഴക്ക്) പത്ത് ധനുസ്സിന്റെ ദൂരത്തിൽ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — 'thereafter/from there'

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भैरवेश्वरम्: Bhairaveśvara (lord Bhairava)
• भैरवेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध-निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) — emphasis

• वह्निकोणस्थम्: situated in the fire-corner (southeast)
• वह्निकोणस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि + कोण + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying) स्थितम्

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

• दशके: in a set of ten
• दशके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थितम्: situated/placed
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying) भैरवेश्वरम् (understood)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairaveśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī to proceed next to Bhairaveśvara; a pilgrim path is shown turning toward the south-east, with a small shrine and a fierce-yet-protective Bhairava presence near the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī
• Bhairaveśvara
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is presented as a guided sacred journey—moving shrine to shrine within the kṣetra as an act of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhairaveśvara in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā instruction: ‘one should go’ to Bhairaveśvara; the verse also gives directional and distance markers.