Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्यैव पूर्वदिग्भागे लिंगं पातकनाशनम् । गौतमेश्वरनामाढ्यं दैत्यसूदनपश्चिमे

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasyaiva pūrvadigbhāge liṃgaṃ pātakanāśanam | gautameśvaranāmāḍhyaṃ daityasūdanapaścime

Translation

ଈଶ୍ୱର କହିଲେ—ସେହି ପୁଣ୍ୟକ୍ଷେତ୍ରର ପୂର୍ବ ଦିଗଭାଗରେ ପାପନାଶକ ଏକ ଲିଙ୍ଗ ଅଛି; ତାହା ‘ଗୌତମେଶ୍ୱର’ ନାମରେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ ଏବଂ ‘ଦୈତ୍ୟସୂଦନ’ର ପଶ୍ଚିମେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of that; its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• पूर्वदिग्भागे: in the eastern part (direction)
• पूर्वदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वायाः दिशः भागः)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• पातकनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पातक + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पातकस्य नाशनम्)

• गौतमेश्वरनामाढ्यम्: bearing the name ‘Gautameśvara’
• गौतमेश्वरनामाढ्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गौतमेश्वर + नाम + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘endowed with the name Gautameśvara’)

• दैत्यसूदनपश्चिमे: to the west of Daityasūdana
• दैत्यसूदनपश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्यसूदन + पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यसूदनस्य पश्चिमः/पश्चिमे भागे)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautameśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī, pointing to the eastern quarter of Prabhāsa: a radiant liṅga labeled ‘Gautameśvara’ stands amid a small shrine; nearby, another shrine ‘Daityasūdana’ serves as a landmark. Pilgrims move with lamps and offerings along a coastal sacred path.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Gautameśvara-liṅga
• Daityasūdana
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is mapped as salvific: approaching specific liṅgas in a tīrtha is presented as a direct means of pāpa-kṣaya (sin-removal).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gautameśvara-liṅga within Prabhāsa Kṣetra, located relative to Daityasūdana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated in this verse; it identifies the liṅga and its sin-destroying potency.