Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा महाभागा सखीगणसमावृता । गत्वा प्रभासक्षेत्रं सा प्रतिष्ठाप्य महेश्वरम् । गौरीश्वरेति विख्यातं पूजयंती विधानतः

Transliteration

evamuktvā mahābhāgā sakhīgaṇasamāvṛtā | gatvā prabhāsakṣetraṃ sā pratiṣṭhāpya maheśvaram | gaurīśvareti vikhyātaṃ pūjayaṃtī vidhānataḥ

Translation

ਇਉਂ ਕਹਿ ਕੇ ਉਹ ਮਹਾਭਾਗਾ ਦੇਵੀ, ਸਖੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਸਮੂਹ ਨਾਲ ਘਿਰੀ ਹੋਈ, ਪ੍ਰਭਾਸ-ਖੇਤਰ ਦੇ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਧਾਮ ਨੂੰ ਗਈ। ਉੱਥੇ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਮਹੇਸ਼ਵਰ ਨੂੰ ਲਿੰਗ-ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਸ਼ਠਿਤ ਕੀਤਾ, ਜੋ ‘ਗੌਰੀਸ਼ਵਰ’ ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਹੋਇਆ, ਅਤੇ ਵਿਧੀ-ਵਿਧਾਨ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕੀਤੀ।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• महाभागा: very fortunate/noble lady
• महाभागा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सा)

• सखीगणसमावृता: surrounded by a group of female friends
• सखीगणसमावृता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक) + समावृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, सम्+वृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘समावृता’

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• प्रभासक्षेत्रम्: the Prabhāsa sacred field
• प्रभासक्षेत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गमनस्य कर्म/गन्तव्य (destination)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having स्थापित/installed
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/तुमुन्-समकक्ष क्त्वान्त-रूप (Gerund: having installed/established)

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गौरीश्वरेति: (as) “Gaurīśvara”
• गौरीश्वरेति: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: गौरी + ईश्वर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘Gaurī’s Lord’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इति-उद्धरणे

• विख्यातम्: renowned, प्रसिद्ध
• विख्यातम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying महेश्वरम्/लिङ्गम् implied)

• पूजयन्ती: worshipping
• पूजयन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present Active Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विधानतः: according to prescribed rites
• विधानतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: according to rule)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra; Gaurīśvara (liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi/audience within the māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Satī, encircled by sakhīs, arrives at the sandy coastal sacred field of Prabhāsa; she establishes a dark stone liṅga on a pedestal, names it Gaurīśvara, and begins formal worship with lamps, flowers, and water-offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Prabhāsakṣetra
• Maheśvara
• Gaurīśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra becomes spiritually radiant through divine स्थापना and proper worship; sacred geography is anchored by consecrated presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is explicitly glorified as the place where Gaurī establishes and worships Gaurīśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation) and vidhivat-pūjā (worship according to scriptural procedure) are indicated.