Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र लिंगान्यनेकानि शक्यंते कथितुं न हि । साग्रं शतं पुनस्तत्र लिंगानां प्रवरं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

tatra liṃgānyanekāni śakyaṃte kathituṃ na hi | sāgraṃ śataṃ punastatra liṃgānāṃ pravaraṃ smṛtam

Translation

«هناك من اللِّينغا ما لا يُستطاعُ وصفُه لكثرته. غيرَ أنّه يُذكَرُ أنّ من بينها ما يزيدُ قليلًا على مئةٍ هو الأَفْضَلُ والأَشرف».

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying लिङ्गानि)

• शक्यन्ते: are possible (to be)
• शक्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: 'are possible')

• कथितुम्: to describe; to tell
• कथितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ-निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• साग्रम्: with an excess; a little over
• साग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (स-अग्रम् = 'with an excess/over and above')

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; संख्याशब्दः

• पुनः: again; further
• पुनः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• लिङ्गानाम्: of the liṅgas
• लिङ्गानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रवरम्: the best; foremost
• प्रवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying implied 'समूहः/गणना')

• स्मृतम्: is remembered; is said to be
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोग

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa liṅga-samūha (Hiraṇyā-uttara vicinity)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred map: countless small liṅga shrines scattered across a riverine plain; a highlighted cluster of about a hundred shines brighter, indicating ‘foremost’ liṅgas, while Śiva narrates to Pārvatī.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa is portrayed as exceptionally dense with Śiva-presence; reverence for even ‘one among many’ liṅgas connects the devotee to that sacred abundance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, famed for innumerable Śiva-liṅgas and a traditionally recognized set of foremost shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse establishes the sacred inventory and hierarchy of liṅgas for pilgrimage focus.