Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि अजापालेश्वरीं शुभाम् । अगस्त्यस्थानपूर्वेण नातिदूरे व्यवस्थिताम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi ajāpāleśvarīṃ śubhām | agastyasthānapūrveṇa nātidūre vyavasthitām

Translation

ஈஸ்வரன் கூறினார்—பின்னர், ஓ மகாதேவி, அகஸ்திய ஸ்தானத்தின் கிழக்கே அதிக தூரமல்லாத இடத்தில் உள்ள மங்களமான அஜாபாலேஸ்வரியை அணுக வேண்டும்।

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; समासः: महा + देवी (कर्मधारय)

• अजापालेश्वरीम्: Ajāpāleśvarī (goddess)
• अजापालेश्वरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजापाल + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; समासः: अजापालस्य ईश्वरी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अजापालेश्वरीम्)

• अगस्त्यस्थानपूर्वेण: to the east of Agastya’s place
• अगस्त्यस्थानपूर्वेण: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अगस्त्य + स्थान + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-प्रयोगेण अव्ययीभाववत् दिशावाचकः: ‘पूर्वेण’ (to the east of); समासः: अगस्त्यस्य स्थानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + तस्य पूर्वः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); तृतीया एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अतिदूरे: very far (away)
• अतिदूरे: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति + दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (locative adverbial): ‘at a very far (distance)’; अव्ययीभाव: अति + दूरे

• व्यवस्थिताम्: situated; established
• व्यवस्थिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अजापालेश्वरीम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ajāpāleśvarī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Pārvatī on the next stop in the Prabhāsa circuit; a map-like sacred landscape with Agastya-sthāna behind and a Devī shrine ahead to the east; pilgrims walking with offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Ajāpāleśvarī
• Agastya-sthāna
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is presented as a dharmic act: moving from one sanctified spot to another under divine guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ajāpāleśvarī, located near (east of) Agastya-sthāna within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription to ‘go’ (gacchet) to the shrine—implying pilgrimage/visit as the act of merit.