Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

कर्कोटकेन नागेन कृतोऽयं तत्र प्राप्तये । पश्चिमेन च मार्गोऽयं प्रभासं याति सुप्रभम्

Transliteration

karkoṭakena nāgena kṛto'yaṃ tatra prāptaye | paścimena ca mārgo'yaṃ prabhāsaṃ yāti suprabham

Translation

此道由那伽迦尔科塔迦（Karkoṭaka）所造，为抵达彼处。此西方之路通向光辉殊胜的Prabhāsa。

Word by Word

• karkoṭakena: by Karkoṭaka
• karkoṭakena: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karkoṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• nāgena: by the Nāga (serpent)
• nāgena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kṛtaḥ: made
• kṛtaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘made’

• ayam: this
• ayam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• prāptaye: for reaching
• prāptaye: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजन

• paścimena: by the western (route/side)
• paścimena: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशावाचक

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• mārgaḥ: path
• mārgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prabhāsam: to Prabhāsa
• prabhāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yāti: goes/leads
• yāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या) (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• suprabham: very splendid
• suprabham: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suprabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘prabhāsam’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Characters & Entities

• Karkoṭaka
• Nāga
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is portrayed as a divinely ordered network, protected and structured by cosmic beings like the Nāgas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa is highlighted as the destination of the western route.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the focus is on the sanctified pathway to Prabhāsa.