Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अथ पूजाविधानं ते कथयामि यशस्विनि । अर्कस्थलस्य देवस्य यथा पूज्यो नरोत्तमैः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | atha pūjāvidhānaṃ te kathayāmi yaśasvini | arkasthalasya devasya yathā pūjyo narottamaiḥ

Translation

Īśvara phán: Nay, hỡi bậc hiển danh, Ta sẽ nói cho nàng nghi thức thờ phụng—rằng Chúa tể Arkasthala phải được các bậc tối thượng trong loài người phụng thờ như thế nào.

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

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/beginning particle)

• पूजाविधानम्: the procedure of worship
• पूजाविधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथयामि: I tell/describe
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिजन्त)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यशस्विनि: O illustrious lady
• यशस्विनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्कस्थलस्य: of Arkasthala (the place)
• अर्कस्थलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: how/as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानसूचक (manner/comparative)

• पूज्यः: to be worshipped/worthy of worship
• पूज्यः: Visheshya-bhava (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कर्मणि)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय; gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरोत्तमैः: by the best of men
• नरोत्तमैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (yashasvinī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara instructs an illustrious Devī on the worship method for Arkasthala’s Lord; the scene is set in a sanctum courtyard with ritual vessels, flowers, lamps, and a solar emblem indicating Arkasthala’s identity.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Arkasthala
• Deva (of Arkasthala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places preserve specific, authoritative worship-methods; following pūjā-vidhi with reverence is itself a path of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arkasthala within Prabhāsakṣetra is introduced as a revered site with a distinct worship tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal pūjā-vidhi (worship procedure) is announced; details follow in subsequent verses.