Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि विचित्रेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तस्यैव पूर्वदिग्भागे किञ्चिदाग्नेयगोचरे । धनुषां दशके तत्र स्थितं पापप्रणाशनम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi vicitreśvaramuttamam | tasyaiva pūrvadigbhāge kiñcidāgneyagocare | dhanuṣāṃ daśake tatra sthitaṃ pāpapraṇāśanam

Translation

ईश्वर କହିଲେ—ହେ ମହାଦେବୀ, ତାପରେ ଉତ୍ତମ ବିଚିତ୍ରେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କୁ ଯିବା ଉଚିତ। ସେଠାରୁ ପୂର୍ବ ଦିଗରେ, କିଛି ଆଗ୍ନେୟ (ଦକ୍ଷିଣ-ପୂର୍ବ) ଭାଗକୁ, ଦଶ ଧନୁଷ ଦୂରେ ସେ ପାପପ୍ରଣାଶକ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ।

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः (adverb)

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ्-रूपम् (injunctive/optative sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; विध्यर्थः (should go)

• mahādevi: O great goddess
• mahādevi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-devī (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देवी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• vicitreśvaram: to Vicitreśvara
• vicitreśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vicitra-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; विचित्र + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of going)

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vicitreśvaram)

• tasya: of that (place/deity)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः (emphatic particle)

• pūrvadigbhāge: in the eastern direction-part
• pūrvadigbhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva-dik-bhāga (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + दिक् + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• kiñcit: somewhat
• kiñcit: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiñcit (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाणवाचक (a little/somewhat)

• āgneyagocare: in the range toward the southeast (Agni’s quarter)
• āgneyagocare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āgneya-gocara (प्रातिपदिक; आग्नेय + गोचर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• dhanuṣām: of bows (as a measure)
• dhanuṣām: Sambandha (Measure/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; परिमाण-सम्बन्धः (measure)

• daśake: within a ten (bows)
• daśake: Adhikarana (Measure-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे/परिमाणे (within a ten)

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

• sthitam: situated
• sthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (pāpapraṇāśanam)

• pāpapraṇāśanam: the destroyer of sins
• pāpapraṇāśanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa-praṇāśana (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + प्रणाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विषय/वस्तु-निर्देशः

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vicitreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva continues guiding Pārvatī, pointing toward the eastern quarter with a slight south-eastern tilt; a second shrine (Vicitreśvara) appears along a short path, suggesting a pilgrim’s itinerary across Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Vicitreśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text treats pilgrimage as a sacred itinerary: reaching specific liṅgas is linked with pāpa-kṣaya (the dissolution of sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vicitreśvara in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Instruction to go/visit Vicitreśvara; the verse highlights its sin-destroying merit.