Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि गौरीं सौभाग्यदायिनीम् । पश्चिमे रावणेशस्य धनुषां पञ्चके स्थिताम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi gaurīṃ saubhāgyadāyinīm | paścime rāvaṇeśasya dhanuṣāṃ pañcake sthitām

Translation

อีศวรตรัสว่า: ต่อจากนั้น โอ้มหาเทวี พึงไปสู่พระคุรี ผู้ประทานสวัสดิมงคลแห่งชีวิตคู่ ซึ่งประดิษฐานอยู่ทางทิศตะวันตกของราวเณศะ ในบริเวณที่กำหนดว่า “ห้าคันธนู”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; धातुः—वच् (भाषणे)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तदर्थक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; धातुः—गम् (गत्यर्थः)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः

• गौरीम्: Gaurī
• गौरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• सौभाग्यदायिनीम्: bestowing good fortune
• सौभाग्यदायिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (सौभाग्यं ददाति इति)

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; देशवाचक-विशेषणम्

• रावणेशस्य: of Rāvaṇeśa
• रावणेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (रावणस्य ईशः)

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• पञ्चके: in a set of five
• पञ्चके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• स्थिताम्: situated
• स्थिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; धातुः—स्था (स्थितौ)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaurī (Saubhāgya-dāyinī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī/Gaurī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Devī on a pilgrimage route; in the background, two shrines: Rāvaṇeśvara to the east and a Gaurī temple to the west, with a measured distance motif ‘five bows’ indicated by archers’ bows or a stylized scale.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Pārvatī (Mahādevī)
• Gaurī
• Rāvaṇeśa (Rāvaṇeśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is mapped as a spiritual practice: moving through tīrthas is presented as a purposeful approach to divine blessings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaurī/ Saubhāgya-dāyinī shrine in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, located west of Rāvaṇeśa (Rāvaṇeśvara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā instruction: ‘one should go’ (gacchet) to Gaurī; detailed worship is not yet described in this verse.