Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि शंडतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । सर्वपापोपशमनं सर्वकामफलप्रदम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi śaṃḍatīrthamanuttamam | sarvapāpopaśamanaṃ sarvakāmaphalapradam

Translation

ଈଶ୍ୱର କହିଲେ—ତାପରେ, ହେ ମହାଦେବୀ, ଅନୁତ୍ତମ ଶଣ୍ଡତୀର୍ଥକୁ ଯିବା ଉଚିତ; ଏହା ସମସ୍ତ ପାପ ଶମନକାରୀ ଏବଂ ସମସ୍ତ କାମନାର ଫଳଦାତା।

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—काल/क्रमवाचक (adverb: then/thereafter)

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

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

• शंडतीर्थम्: Śaṇḍa-tīrtha (a sacred ford)
• शंडतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंड-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शंडतीर्थम्)

• सर्वपापोपशमनम्: that which pacifies all sins
• सर्वपापोपशमनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पाप-उपशमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शंडतीर्थम्)

• सर्वकामफलप्रदम्: granting the fruits of all desires
• सर्वकामफलप्रदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-काम-फल-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शंडतीर्थम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṇḍatīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, as guide, points the way to Śaṇḍatīrtha; the path opens to a luminous water-body/ghāṭ where pilgrims bathe, symbolizing the washing away of sins and the granting of boons.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Śaṇḍatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a divinely praised tīrtha is presented as both ethical purification (sin-relief) and dhārmic fulfillment (rightly gained desires).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṇḍatīrtha, situated within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra framework of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse gives a direct injunction to go to the tīrtha; bathing (snāna) is implied by the term tīrtha though not explicitly stated here.