Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

एवं विकल्प्य लिंगानि अश्वमेध फलानि तु । दर्शनेनापि सर्वेषां स्पर्शाद्धि द्विगुणं फलम्

Transliteration

evaṃ vikalpya liṃgāni aśvamedha phalāni tu | darśanenāpi sarveṣāṃ sparśāddhi dviguṇaṃ phalam

Translation

وهكذا فإن هذه اللِّينغا، على صورٍ شتّى، تمنح ثمار قربان الأشفاميدها. ولكلّها، حتى مجرّد الدَّرشَنَة (الرؤية التعبّدية) يجلب النفع؛ أمّا باللمس فيُقال إن الثمرة تتضاعف.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus')

• विकल्प्य: having arranged/considered
• विकल्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having arranged/considered'

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• अश्वमेधफलानि: fruits of the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधफलानि: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वमेधस्य फलानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (here: predicate nominative plural)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'indeed/but')

• दर्शनेन: by seeing
• दर्शनेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'even/also')

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (people)
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural: 'of all')

• स्पर्शात्: than (mere) touch / from touch
• स्पर्शात्: Apadana (Comparison source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular: 'from/than touch')

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle: 'indeed/for')

• द्विगुणम्: twofold, double
• द्विगुणम्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (द्वौ गुणौ यस्य/द्विगुणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'फलम्' इति विशेषणम्

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (here: Nominative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa liṅga-samūha (various liṅgas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim group moves from shrine to shrine in Prabhāsa, beholding varied liṅgas; some devotees merely take darśana with folded hands, while others reverently touch the liṅga base, the text’s ‘double fruit’ suggested by doubled halos or mirrored light.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Aśvamedha
• Darśana
• Sparśa
• Prabhāsa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a tīrtha, devotion expressed through darśana and respectful contact can replace even grand Vedic rites in spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The liṅga-sthalas within Prabhāsakṣetra, praised as granting Aśvamedha-level merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-darśana and liṅga-sparśa (touch) as meritorious acts; touch is said to double the benefit.