Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि तत्रस्थां भूतमातृकाम् । सावित्र्या वारूणे भागे शतधन्वंतरे स्थिताम् । नवकोटि गणैर्युक्तां प्रेतभूतसमाकुलाम् । पूजितां सिद्धगंधर्वैर्देवादिभिरनेकशः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi tatrasthāṃ bhūtamātṛkām | sāvitryā vārūṇe bhāge śatadhanvaṃtare sthitām | navakoṭi gaṇairyuktāṃ pretabhūtasamākulām | pūjitāṃ siddhagaṃdharvairdevādibhiranekaśaḥ

Translation

自在天（Īśvara）说道：“于是，噢大女神，应前往住于彼处的‘鬼母’（Bhūtamātṛkā）——她位于萨维特丽（Sāvitrī）之瓦鲁那方位（Varuṇa‑方），相隔百弓之距——随侍者有九俱胝（koṭi）众伽那（gaṇa），其处充满饿鬼（preta）与鬼灵（bhūta），并屡受成就者（Siddha）、乾闼婆（Gandharva）及诸天等众多礼敬。”

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—काल/अनन्तर ("then")

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• mahādevi: O great goddess
• mahādevi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती देवि)

• tatra-sthām: dwelling there
• tatra-sthām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tatra (अव्यय) + sthā (धातु) → stha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/स्थ-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; अव्ययीभावः (तत्र स्थिता)

• bhūta-mātṛkām: Bhūtamātṛkā (mother of spirits)
• bhūta-mātṛkām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + mātṛkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भूतानां मातृका)

• sāvitryā: by/with Sāvitrī
• sāvitryā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāvitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/सह (instrumental)

• vārūṇe: in the Varuṇa-related
• vārūṇe: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vārūṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (भागे)

• bhāge: in the portion/region
• bhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• śata-dhanvantare: in (the place called) Śatadhanvantara
• śata-dhanvantare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + dhanvantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शतं धन्वन्तराणि यस्मिन्/शतधन्वन्तर-नाम्नि स्थाने)

• sthitām: situated
• sthitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे

• nava-koṭi: nine crores (of)
• nava-koṭi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक, संख्या) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगु (नव कोटयः) संख्याविशेषणम्

• gaṇaiḥ: with groups/hosts
• gaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण/सह

• yuktām: endowed/associated
• yuktām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु) → yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• preta-bhūta-samākulām: crowded with pretas and bhūtas
• preta-bhūta-samākulām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + samākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतैः भूतैः च समाकुला)

• pūjitām: worshipped
• pūjitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūj (धातु) → pūjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• siddha-gandharvaiḥ: by Siddhas and Gandharvas
• siddha-gandharvaiḥ: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक) + gandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (सिद्धाश्च गन्धर्वाश्च)

• deva-ādibhiḥ: by gods and others
• deva-ādibhiḥ: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (देवाः आदयः येषां ते)

• anekaśaḥ: in many ways/again and again
• anekaśaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anekaśaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/बहुधार्थक ("many times/variously")

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhūtamātṛkā-sthāna (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, Sāvitrī precinct)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī about a shrine of Bhūtamātṛkā located in a specific quarter; the shrine is encircled by vast gaṇa hosts, with pretas and bhūtas thronging, while siddhas, gandharvas, and devas offer worship—an awe-filled, twilight sacred grove/temple edge within Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Bhūtamātṛkā
• Sāvitrī
• Varuṇa (directional deity)
• Gaṇas
• Pretas
• Bhūtas
• Siddhas
• Gandharvas
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha landscape includes fierce and liminal deities too; even such powers are honored within dharma and revered by higher beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Bhūtamātṛkā-sthāna within Prabhāsakṣetra, described by its position in Sāvitrī’s Varuṇa-quarter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage instruction: one should go to Bhūtamātṛkā at that marked location and worship her.