Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ब्राह्मी तु मंगला प्रोक्ता विशालाक्षी तु वैष्णवी । रौद्रीशक्तिः समाख्याता देवी सा चत्वरप्रिया

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | brāhmī tu maṃgalā proktā viśālākṣī tu vaiṣṇavī | raudrīśaktiḥ samākhyātā devī sā catvarapriyā

Translation

ایشور نے کہا: برہمی شکتی کے طور پر وہ منگلا کہلاتی ہے؛ ویشنوَی شکتی کے طور پر وہ وشالاکشی کے نام سے مشہور ہے۔ وہ رَودری شکتی کے نام سے بھی معروف ہے—وہ دیوی جو مقدس چوراہے (چتوَر) کو پسند کرتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (the Lord)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• brāhmī: Brāhmī (goddess/power)
• brāhmī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• maṃgalā: Maṅgalā
• maṃgalā: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃgalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• proktā: is said/called
• proktā: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + √vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viśālākṣī: Viśālākṣī
• viśālākṣī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśāla (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣī/akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• vaiṣṇavī: Vaiṣṇavī (power of Viṣṇu)
• vaiṣṇavī: Predicate nominative (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiṣṇavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• raudrīśaktiḥ: Raudrī-Śakti (fierce power)
• raudrīśaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raudrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (raudrī śaktiḥ)

• samākhyātā: is named/called
• samākhyātā: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + ā + √khyā (ख्या, धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devī: goddess
• devī: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sā: she/that (one)
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• catvarapriyā: dear to/associated with the catvara (square/crossroads)
• catvarapriyā: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvara (प्रातिपदिक) + priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (catvare priyā / catvarasya priyā—sense: fond of/associated with the square)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Catvara-devī (Maṅgalā/Viśālākṣī/Raudrīśakti) in Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Umā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara explains the guardian Devī’s threefold naming: as Brāhmī she is Maṅgalā, as Vaiṣṇavī she is Viśālākṣī, and as Raudrī-Śakti she delights in the catvara (crossroads).

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Maṅgalā
• Brāhmī
• Viśālākṣī
• Vaiṣṇavī
• Raudrī-Śakti
• Catvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The one Goddess is praised through multiple śakti-forms—Brāhmī, Vaiṣṇavī, and Raudrī—showing unity behind diverse divine functions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, with emphasis on the Goddess associated with the catvara (sacred crossroads/central square) within the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse primarily establishes names and sacred identity for worship in the kṣetra.