Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

शिवलिंगे सामवेदो मर्कटे च मधुप्रियः । नारायणश्च गोमन्ते विदर्भायां द्विज प्रियः

Transliteration

śivaliṃge sāmavedo markaṭe ca madhupriyaḥ | nārāyaṇaśca gomante vidarbhāyāṃ dvija priyaḥ

Translation

عند شيفالينغا يُسبَّح بوصفه السامافيدا (Sāmaveda)؛ وعند مَرْكَṭa يُعرَف باسم مَدھوپْرِيَة (Madhupriya)، مُحِبّ الحلاوة. وعند غومَنْتَة هو نارايَنة (Nārāyaṇa)؛ وفي وِداربها يُشتهَر بدْوِجَپْرِيَة (Dvijapriya)، مُحِبّ ذوي الميلادين. هكذا يُمجَّد الربّ الواحد في مواطن قداسة كثيرة.

Word by Word

• शिवलिंगे: in Śiva-liṅga (place/linga)
• शिवलिंगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• सामवेदः: Sāmaveda (name/epithet)
• सामवेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम + वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• मर्कटे: in Markaṭa
• मर्कटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय; conjunction

• मधुप्रियः: lover of honey/sweetness (name/epithet)
• मधुप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय; conjunction

• गोमन्ते: in Gomanta
• गोमन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• विदर्भायाम्: in Vidarbhā
• विदर्भायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदर्भा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• द्विजप्रियः: dear to the twice-born (name/epithet)
• द्विजप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivaliṅga / Markaṭa / Gomanta / Vidarbhā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of four shrines: a radiant liṅga with musical Sāma notes emanating; a playful ‘Markaṭa’ grove-temple where devotees offer honey/sweets to ‘Madhupriya’; a coastal hill/forest of Gomanta with Nārāyaṇa iconography; and a Vidarbha court/agrahāra scene where brāhmaṇas are honored as the Lord’s प्रिय (beloved).

Characters & Entities

• Śivaliṅga
• Sāmaveda
• Nārāyaṇa
• Gomanta
• Vidarbhā
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The One Divine is approached through many names and forms; tīrthas reveal distinct epithets while affirming a single supreme reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śivaliṅga, Markaṭa, Gomanta, and the region of Vidarbhā are cited as abodes where the Lord is praised by specific names.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse functions as tīrtha-saṅkīrtana—devotional remembrance of sacred places and divine names.