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

“তাত লিঙ্গ অগণিত; সিহঁতৰ সম্পূৰ্ণ বৰ্ণনা কৰা সম্ভৱ নহয়। তথাপি, তাত লিঙ্গসমূহৰ ভিতৰত সোঁৰ অলপ অধিকক শ্ৰেষ্ঠ বুলি স্মৰণ কৰা হয়।”

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.