Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ लिंगं पापहरं परम् । उद्दालकेन मुनिना स्थापितं लोकविश्रुतम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha liṃgaṃ pāpaharaṃ param | uddālakena muninā sthāpitaṃ lokaviśrutam

Translation

পুলস্ত্য বললেন—হে নৃপশ্রেষ্ঠ, তারপর সেই পরম পাপহারী লিঙ্গে গমন করো; যা মুনি উদ্দালক স্থাপন করেছেন এবং যা সর্বলোকে প্রসিদ্ধ।

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sequence (क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः नृपः)

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

• पापहरम्: sin-destroying
• पापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापं हरति इति)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उद्दालकेन: by Uddālaka
• उद्दालकेन: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्दालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• मुनिना: by the sage
• मुनिना: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• स्थापितम्: established
• स्थापितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘caused to be established’

• लोकविश्रुतम्: renowned in the world
• लोकविश्रुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + विश्रुत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (लोके विश्रुतम्)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Uddālakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha (king; traditionally Bhīṣma/Janamejaya-type interlocutor in tīrtha dialogues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya instructs the king to proceed to a renowned sin-destroying liṅga; the liṅga is shown as ancient, with sage Uddālaka performing installation rites amid forested hills.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Uddālaka
• Śiva-liṅga
• Uddālakeśvara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a consecrated Śiva-liṅga and reverence for it is presented as a powerful means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Uddālaka-established Śiva-liṅga, celebrated as Uddālakeśvara in this chapter’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gacchet—one should go/undertake pilgrimage to the liṅga (a prescribed act of tīrtha-yātrā).