Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि गंधर्वेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तस्यैवोत्तरदिग्भागे धनुषां पंचके स्थितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi gaṃdharveśvaramuttamam | tasyaivottaradigbhāge dhanuṣāṃ paṃcake sthitam

Translation

ଈଶ୍ୱର କହିଲେ—ତତଃ, ହେ ମହାଦେବି, ଉତ୍ତମ ଗନ୍ଧର୍ବେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କ ନିକଟକୁ ଯିବା ଉଚିତ। ସେହି ସ୍ଥାନର ଉତ୍ତର ଦିଗଭାଗରେ ପାଞ୍ଚ ଧନୁ ଦୂରେ ତାହା ଅବସ୍ଥିତ।

Word by Word

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

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

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (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

• गन्धर्वेश्वरम्: Gandharveśvara (lord of Gandharvas)
• गन्धर्वेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गन्धर्वेश्वरम्)

• तस्य: of that (place/deity)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Niyamaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• उत्तर-दिक्-भागे: in the northern direction-part
• उत्तर-दिक्-भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

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

• पञ्चके: at a distance of five (bows)
• पञ्चके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• स्थितम्: situated, located
• स्थितम्: Kriya-visheshana/Predicate (स्थित-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (लिङ्गम्/स्थानम् इत्यादि निहितं)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṃdharveśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī on the next stop: a pilgrim’s map-like scene showing Siddheśvara behind and Gaṃdharveśvara ahead to the north, with a short measured path across the Prabhāsa landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Gaṃdharveśvara
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames pilgrimage as guided sacred geography—moving from one sanctified Śiva-site to the next as a dharmic journey.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṃdharveśvara in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā instruction: proceed to Gaṃdharveśvara, located northward at a measured distance.