Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

धनुषां त्रिंशता देवि वरुणान्नैऋते स्थितम् । गौरीतपोवनाद्देवि दक्षिण स्थानसंस्थितम्

Transliteration

dhanuṣāṃ triṃśatā devi varuṇānnaiṛte sthitam | gaurītapovanāddevi dakṣiṇa sthānasaṃsthitam

Translation

हे देवी! हे वरुणापासून नैऋत्य दिशेला तीस धनुष्य-प्रमाण अंतरावर आहे, आणि हे देवी! गौरीच्या तपोवनाच्या दक्षिणेस स्थित आहे.

Word by Word

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

• त्रिंशता: by thirty
• त्रिंशता: Karana (Instrument/Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिंशत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (measure)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• वरुणात्: from Varuṇa (western direction)
• वरुणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• नैऋते: in the south-west (Nairṛta)
• नैऋते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दिशावाचक), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• स्थितम्: situated; placed
• स्थितम्: Kriya/Visheshana (State/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्/स्थानम् implied)

• गौरीतपोवनात्: from Gaurī’s penance-grove
• गौरीतपोवनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी + तपोवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: in the southern (direction)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (दिशावाचक), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् स्थान-विशेषण

• स्थानसंस्थितम्: situated at the place
• स्थानसंस्थितम्: Kriya/Visheshana (State/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थान + संस्थित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थितम् इत्यर्थे)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara (relative to Varuṇa-sthāna and Gaurī-tapovana)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s-eye map scene: markers for Varuṇa-sthāna, Gaurī’s tapovana (austere grove), and the Kumāreśvara shrine placed south-west/south with measured distance; subtle compass-like orientation in a sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kumāreśvara
• Varuṇa
• Gaurī
• Gaurī-tapo-vana
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa treats pilgrimage as lived sacred geography—precise directions link divine presence to real terrain and disciplined movement through holy space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kumāreśvara within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described through its location relative to Varuṇa and Gaurī’s tapo-vana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; this verse provides navigational/directional guidance for pilgrims.