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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि तत्रस्थां भूतमातृकाम् । सावित्र्या वारूणे भागे शतधन्वंतरे स्थिताम् । नवकोटि गणैर्युक्तां प्रेतभूतसमाकुलाम् । पूजितां सिद्धगंधर्वैर्देवादिभिरनेकशः

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi tatrasthāṃ bhūtamātṛkām | sāvitryā vārūṇe bhāge śatadhanvaṃtare sthitām | navakoṭi gaṇairyuktāṃ pretabhūtasamākulām | pūjitāṃ siddhagaṃdharvairdevādibhiranekaśaḥ

Īśvara bersabda: Kemudian, wahai Mahādevī, hendaklah seseorang pergi kepada Bhūtamātṛkā yang bersemayam di sana—terletak di penjuru Varuṇa milik Sāvitrī, pada jarak seratus panjang busur—diiringi sembilan koṭi gaṇa, dipenuhi preta dan bhūta, serta dipuja berulang kali oleh para Siddha, Gandharva, para dewa dan yang lainnya.

īśvaraḥĪśvara (Lord Śiva)
īśvaraḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootīśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन
uvācasaid/spoke
uvāca:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
tataḥthen
tataḥ:
Kāla (Time/काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottataḥ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—काल/अनन्तर ("then")
gacchetshould go
gacchet:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootgam (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
mahādeviO great goddess
mahādevi:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती देवि)
tatra-sthāmdwelling there
tatra-sthām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roottatra (अव्यय) + sthā (धातु) → stha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/स्थ-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; अव्ययीभावः (तत्र स्थिता)
bhūta-mātṛkāmBhūtamātṛkā (mother of spirits)
bhūta-mātṛkām:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootbhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + mātṛkā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भूतानां मातृका)
sāvitryāby/with Sāvitrī
sāvitryā:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootsāvitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/सह (instrumental)
vārūṇein the Varuṇa-related
vārūṇe:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvārūṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (भागे)
bhāgein the portion/region
bhāge:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootbhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण
śata-dhanvantarein (the place called) Śatadhanvantara
śata-dhanvantare:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootśata (प्रातिपदिक) + dhanvantara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शतं धन्वन्तराणि यस्मिन्/शतधन्वन्तर-नाम्नि स्थाने)
sthitāmsituated
sthitām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे
nava-koṭinine crores (of)
nava-koṭi:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnava (प्रातिपदिक, संख्या) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगु (नव कोटयः) संख्याविशेषणम्
gaṇaiḥwith groups/hosts
gaṇaiḥ:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootgaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण/सह
yuktāmendowed/associated
yuktām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootyuj (धातु) → yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त
preta-bhūta-samākulāmcrowded with pretas and bhūtas
preta-bhūta-samākulām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpreta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + samākula (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतैः भूतैः च समाकुला)
pūjitāmworshipped
pūjitām:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpūj (धातु) → pūjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)
siddha-gandharvaiḥby Siddhas and Gandharvas
siddha-gandharvaiḥ:
Karana (Agent/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootsiddha (प्रातिपदिक) + gandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (सिद्धाश्च गन्धर्वाश्च)
deva-ādibhiḥby gods and others
deva-ādibhiḥ:
Karana (Agent/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (देवाः आदयः येषां ते)
anekaśaḥin many ways/again and again
anekaśaḥ:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootanekaśaḥ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकार/बहुधार्थक ("many times/variously")

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha: Bhūtamātṛkā-sthāna (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, Sāvitrī precinct)

Type: kshetra

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī about a shrine of Bhūtamātṛkā located in a specific quarter; the shrine is encircled by vast gaṇa hosts, with pretas and bhūtas thronging, while siddhas, gandharvas, and devas offer worship—an awe-filled, twilight sacred grove/temple edge within Prabhāsa.

Ś
Śiva (Īśvara)
M
Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
B
Bhūtamātṛkā
S
Sāvitrī
V
Varuṇa (directional deity)
G
Gaṇas
P
Pretas
B
Bhūtas
S
Siddhas
G
Gandharvas
D
Devas

FAQs

The tīrtha landscape includes fierce and liminal deities too; even such powers are honored within dharma and revered by higher beings.

The Bhūtamātṛkā-sthāna within Prabhāsakṣetra, described by its position in Sāvitrī’s Varuṇa-quarter.

A pilgrimage instruction: one should go to Bhūtamātṛkā at that marked location and worship her.