Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्मादाग्नेयदिग्भागे गव्यूतिसप्तकेन च । स्थानं देवकुलंनाम देवानां यत्र संगमः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasmādāgneyadigbhāge gavyūtisaptakena ca | sthānaṃ devakulaṃnāma devānāṃ yatra saṃgamaḥ

Translation

ایشور نے فرمایا: اس مقام سے آگنیہ سمت (جنوب مشرق) میں سات گویوتی کے فاصلے پر ‘دیوکُل’ نامی ایک مقدس جگہ ہے، جہاں دیوتا جمع ہوتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — perfect ‘said’

• तस्मात्: from there/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन — ablative ‘from that’

• आग्नेय: southeastern
• आग्नेय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (अविभक्तिक) — ‘southeastern (Agni-related)’ as compound member

• दिक्: direction
• दिक्: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (अविभक्तिक) — ‘direction’ as compound member

• भागे: in the region/part
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — ‘आग्नेयायां दिशि भागः’ tatpuruṣa; locative

• गव्यूति: gavyūti (a distance measure)
• गव्यूति: Sambandha (Measure relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव्यूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (अविभक्तिक) — measure-unit as compound member

• सप्तकेन: by seven (gavyūtis)
• सप्तकेन: Karana (Measure/extent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक; सप्त + क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — instrumental; ‘सप्त गव्यूतयः’ dvigu sense ‘by seven gavyūtis’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• स्थानम्: a place
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/वाक्यविषय), एकवचन — nominative singular

• देवकुलम्: Devakula
• देवकुलम्: Samjna (Name/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘देवानां कुलम्’ tatpuruṣa; name/apposition to स्थानम्

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशार्थक) — ‘named’

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — genitive plural

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/स्थानवाचक) — relative adverb ‘where’

• संगमः: meeting/confluence
• संगमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devakula

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara as guide points toward the southeast; a pilgrim group follows a path across the Prabhāsa landscape toward a sanctified grove/temple complex labeled Devakula, where luminous devas are seen gathering like a celestial council.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devakula
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are mapped as living sacred geography—spaces where the divine community gathers, guiding pilgrims toward blessed encounters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devakula, a sacred spot in Prabhāsa-kṣetra described by direction and distance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite here; it provides pilgrimage-route guidance (dik and distance) to reach the sacred place.