Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि गोष्पदस्योत्तरे स्थितम् । गव्यूतिद्वितयेनैव वलाय इति विश्रुतम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi goṣpadasyottare sthitam | gavyūtidvitayenaiva valāya iti viśrutam

Translation

自在天（Īśvara）曰：“其后，噢大女神，当往瞿史波陀（Goṣpada）之北，距二伽维尤提（gavyūti）之处；彼地名闻为婆罗耶（Valāya）。”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रम/अपादानार्थ; adverb: then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती देवी)

• गोष्पदस्य: of Goṣpada
• गोष्पदस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोष्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• उत्तरे: to the north (of it)
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिक्-निर्देशे (in the north/ on the northern side)

• स्थितम्: situated
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘(तीर्थम्)’ इत्यादि लुप्त-विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गव्यूतिद्वितयेन: by two gavyūtis
• गव्यूतिद्वितयेन: Karaṇa (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव्यूति + द्वितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वे गव्यूती)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• वलायः: Valāya (name)
• वलायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वलाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (place-name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देश/quotative)

• विश्रुतम्: renowned/known
• विश्रुतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; उपसर्गः ‘वि-’

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Valāya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Devī on a map-like sacred landscape: Goṣpada as a reference point, a path leading north to Valāya; pilgrims walking with staffs and water pots across sandy coastal terrain.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Goṣpada
• Valāya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a disciplined spiritual journey—moving from one sanctified locus to another according to scriptural guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Valāya, located north of the site called Goṣpada within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is directional pilgrimage: “go” to Valāya, specified by relative location and distance.