Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । गौरीश्वरेति विख्यातं यत्त्वया लिंगमुत्तमम् । कुत्र तिष्ठति तल्लिंगं पूजितं यत्फलं लभेत्

Transliteration

devyuvāca | gaurīśvareti vikhyātaṃ yattvayā liṃgamuttamam | kutra tiṣṭhati talliṃgaṃ pūjitaṃ yatphalaṃ labhet

Translation

พระเทวีตรัสว่า: “ลึงค์อันประเสริฐที่ท่านประกาศให้เป็นที่รู้จักว่า ‘คาวรีศวร’ นั้น สถิตอยู่ ณ ที่ใด และผู้บูชาลึงค์นั้นย่อมได้ผลอันใด?”

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• गौरीश्वर: Gaurīśvara
• गौरीश्वर: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Textual marker (Quotation/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देश/उक्तिसूचक)

• विख्यातम्: renowned
• विख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → विख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘renowned/known’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री (सर्वनाम), तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent; supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुत्र: where?
• कुत्र: Adhikarana (Interrogative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक देशवाचक)

• तिष्ठति: stands; is situated
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Demonstrative/निर्देशक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक

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

• पूजितम्: worshipped
• पूजितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Condition/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → पूजित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘when worshipped’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaurīśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī (Gaurī/Pārvatī) respectfully questioning Īśvara (Śiva) about the Gaurīśvara liṅga; the setting hints at a sacred grove near the coast, with ascetic trees and a distant temple spire.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Gaurīśvara
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is anchored in devotion: knowing where a deity abides and the fruit of worship guides pilgrimage and practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaurīśvara Liṅga within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of the Gaurīśvara Liṅga, seeking its promised phala.