Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ब्राह्मी तु मंगला प्रोक्ता विशालाक्षी तु वैष्णवी । रौद्रीशक्तिः समाख्याता देवी सा चत्वरप्रिया

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | brāhmī tu maṃgalā proktā viśālākṣī tu vaiṣṇavī | raudrīśaktiḥ samākhyātā devī sā catvarapriyā

Translation

ଈଶ୍ୱର କହିଲେ—ବ୍ରାହ୍ମୀ ଶକ୍ତିରୂପେ ସେ ‘ମଙ୍ଗଳା’ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ; ବୈଷ୍ଣବୀ ଶକ୍ତିରୂପେ ସେ ‘ବିଶାଳାକ୍ଷୀ’ ନାମେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ। ସେ ‘ରୌଦ୍ରୀ-ଶକ୍ତି’ ଭାବେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଖ୍ୟାତ, ଏବଂ ପବିତ୍ର ଚତ୍ୱରକୁ ପ୍ରିୟ କରୁଥିବା ଦେବୀ।

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (the Lord)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• brāhmī: Brāhmī (goddess/power)
• brāhmī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• maṃgalā: Maṅgalā
• maṃgalā: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃgalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• proktā: is said/called
• proktā: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + √vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viśālākṣī: Viśālākṣī
• viśālākṣī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśāla (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣī/akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• vaiṣṇavī: Vaiṣṇavī (power of Viṣṇu)
• vaiṣṇavī: Predicate nominative (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiṣṇavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• raudrīśaktiḥ: Raudrī-Śakti (fierce power)
• raudrīśaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raudrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (raudrī śaktiḥ)

• samākhyātā: is named/called
• samākhyātā: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + ā + √khyā (ख्या, धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devī: goddess
• devī: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sā: she/that (one)
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• catvarapriyā: dear to/associated with the catvara (square/crossroads)
• catvarapriyā: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvara (प्रातिपदिक) + priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (catvare priyā / catvarasya priyā—sense: fond of/associated with the square)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Catvara-devī (Maṅgalā/Viśālākṣī/Raudrīśakti) in Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Umā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara explains the guardian Devī’s threefold naming: as Brāhmī she is Maṅgalā, as Vaiṣṇavī she is Viśālākṣī, and as Raudrī-Śakti she delights in the catvara (crossroads).

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Maṅgalā
• Brāhmī
• Viśālākṣī
• Vaiṣṇavī
• Raudrī-Śakti
• Catvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The one Goddess is praised through multiple śakti-forms—Brāhmī, Vaiṣṇavī, and Raudrī—showing unity behind diverse divine functions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, with emphasis on the Goddess associated with the catvara (sacred crossroads/central square) within the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse primarily establishes names and sacred identity for worship in the kṣetra.