Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तत्स्थानं रक्षते देवि लिंगरूपेण शंकरः । तमाराध्य प्रयत्नेन ततः कुण्डं समाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

tatsthānaṃ rakṣate devi liṃgarūpeṇa śaṃkaraḥ | tamārādhya prayatnena tataḥ kuṇḍaṃ samāśrayet

Translation

أيتها الإلهة، إنّ ذلك الموضع يحرسه شنكرة بذات هيئة اللِّنگا. فإذا عُبد بإخلاصٍ واجتهاد، فليلتجئ المرء بعد ذلك إلى الحوض المقدّس (كوندا).

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• रक्षते: protects
• रक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् — Present, 3rd person singular, middle

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Vocative singular

• लिङ्गरूपेण: in the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपेण: Karana (Means/Mode/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/प्रकार), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य रूपम्) — Neuter, Instrumental singular

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया — Absolutive

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental singular

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय — indeclinable (then/thereafter)

• कुण्डम्: the pond
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• समाश्रयेत्: should resort to/approach
• समाश्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् — Optative, 2nd person singular, middle

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuṇḍa associated with the kṣetrapāla-liṅga (Prabhāsa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bows before a liṅga identified with Śaṅkara the protector; after offering flowers and lamp, the pilgrim walks toward a nearby kuṇḍa shimmering under temple light.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Liṅga
• Kuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approach sacred waters through prior devotion: worship of Śiva sanctifies the pilgrim’s intention before engaging the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A kuṇḍa (sacred pond) within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, approached after liṅga worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform earnest ārādhana (worship) of Śaṅkara in liṅga-form, then proceed to the kuṇḍa (implying tīrtha-approach and likely snāna/darśana).