Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तत्र संस्थापिते लिंगे स्वयं देवेन शंभुना । यत्पातितं पुरा लिंगं वालखिल्यैर्महर्षिभिः

Transliteration

tatra saṃsthāpite liṃge svayaṃ devena śaṃbhunā | yatpātitaṃ purā liṃgaṃ vālakhilyairmaharṣibhiḥ

Translation

সেখানে স্বয়ং দেব শম্ভু যখন লিঙ্গ প্রতিষ্ঠা করলেন, যে লিঙ্গটি পূর্বে মহর্ষি বালখিল্যগণ কর্তৃক পতিত করা হয়েছিল, সেই লিঙ্গই সেখানে প্রতিষ্ঠিত হল।

Word by Word

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

• संस्थापिते: when/where installed
• संस्थापिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्थाप् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘having been installed’ (qualifying लिङ्गे)

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: personally
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘oneself/in person’

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शम्भुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुना: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शिव-नाम

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• पातितम्: dropped/caused to fall
• पातितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘caused to fall/dropped’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time) ‘formerly’

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वालखिल्यैः: by the Vālakhilyas
• वालखिल्यैः: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ऋषि-गण-नाम

• महर्षिभिः: by great sages
• महर्षिभिः: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘महान् + ऋषि’ (great sages)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śambhu-pratiṣṭhita Liṅga at Arbuda (name not specified in verse)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yayāti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred liṅga at Arbuda is shown being established by Śambhu; in a flashback vignette, austere Vālakhilya sages are seen casting down the liṅga in anger, contrasted with Śiva’s calm restoration.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śambhu)
• Liṅga
• Vālakhilya Ṛṣis
• Arbuda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s sanctity is reaffirmed through re-establishment; even disruptions around sacred symbols are ultimately resolved by divine will and dharmic restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda sacred precinct where Śiva establishes the liṅga—associated with Acaleśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (consecration/installation) is referenced, though no procedural details are given in this verse.