Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि गंगां त्रिपथगामिनीम् । संगालेशादथैशान्यां धनुषां सप्तके स्थिताम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi gaṃgāṃ tripathagāminīm | saṃgāleśādathaiśānyāṃ dhanuṣāṃ saptake sthitām

Translation

อีศวรตรัสว่า: “แล้วแต่จากนั้น โอ้มหาเทวี พึงไปยังคงคาผู้ไหลไปในสามภพ (ตรีปถคามินี) นางตั้งอยู่ทางทิศอีศานจากสังคาเลศะ ห่างออกไปเจ็ดคันธนู”

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana/Desha-Kala (Context: time/place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘thereafter/from there’

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गङ्गाम्: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रिपथगामिनीम्: going in three paths (heaven/earth/netherworld)
• त्रिपथगामिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + पथ + गामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) गङ्गाम्

• सङ्गालेशात्: from Saṅgāleśa
• सङ्गालेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गालेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then; and next
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक (sequencing particle)

• ऐशान्याम्: (to) Īśānī / the northeastern (direction/region)
• ऐशान्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐशानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• धनुषाम्: of bows (dhanuṣ)
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सप्तके: in the set of seven
• सप्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थिताम्: situated; standing
• स्थिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) ऐशान्याम्/गङ्गाम् (contextual)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Tripathagā) of Prabhāsa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Pārvatī; a stylized map-like landscape shows Saṅgāleśvara shrine and, to its northeast, a shining river labeled Gaṅgā; pilgrims walk the short measured distance.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā (Tripathagā)
• Saṅgāleśa/Saṅgāleśvara
• Mahādevī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is itself a dharmic map—knowing where to go is framed as part of pilgrimage discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Tripathagā Gaṅgā tīrtha located northeast of Saṅgāleśvara in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking yātrā to the Gaṅgā tīrtha as the next step in the pilgrimage sequence.