Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि तत्र मातृगणान्सुधीः । तत्रैव बलदेवीं च नातिदूरे व्यवस्थिताम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi tatra mātṛgaṇānsudhīḥ | tatraiva baladevīṃ ca nātidūre vyavasthitām

Translation

ईश्वर म्हणाले—हे महादेवी! मग ज्ञानी यात्रेकरू तेथे मातृगणांकडे जावा; आणि तिथेच फार दूर नसलेल्या बलादेवीचेही दर्शन घ्यावे.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

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

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

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

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

• मातृगणान्: the groups of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृगणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृगण (प्रातिपदिक; मातृ + गण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सुधीः: a wise person
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle of emphasis)

• बलदेवीं: Baladevī
• बलदेवीं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलदेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

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

• व्यवस्थिताम्: situated; stationed
• व्यवस्थिताम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यवस्था (धातु: स्था with वि+अव+; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mātṛgaṇa-sthāna and Balādevī-sthāna (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara instructs the Great Goddess on the next pilgrimage steps; in the background, a cluster of Mātṛkā shrines (seven/eight mother-goddesses) and a nearby Balādevī temple; pilgrims move along a path with offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛgaṇa (Mātṛkās)
• Balādevī
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya frames the tīrtha as a living sacred landscape, where visiting interconnected shrines deepens devotion and understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mātṛgaṇa (Mātṛkā) site and the nearby shrine of Balādevī in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage sequence: go to the Mothers’ shrine(s) and then to Balādevī located nearby.