Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तत्रैव संस्थितं पश्येत्प्राची देव्यास्तु संनिधौ । लिंगत्रयं समाख्यातं त्रिपुराणां महात्मनाम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tatraiva saṃsthitaṃ paśyetprācī devyāstu saṃnidhau | liṃgatrayaṃ samākhyātaṃ tripurāṇāṃ mahātmanām

Translation

ঈশ্বর বললেন—সেখানেই প্রাচী দেবীর সান্নিধ্যে প্রতিষ্ঠিত, ত্রিপুর নামক মহাত্মাদের সঙ্গে খ্যাত তিনটি লিঙ্গ দর্শন করা উচিত।

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• saṃsthitam: situated
• saṃsthitam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃsthita (कृदन्त; √sthā (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) — ‘situated/standing’

• paśyet: one should see
• paśyet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• prācīm: the eastern (direction)
• prācīm: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दिशावाचक

• devyāḥ: of the Goddess
• devyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• saṃnidhau: in the presence/nearby
• saṃnidhau: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃnidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• liṃga-trayam: the triad of liṅgas
• liṃga-trayam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṃga + traya (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (‘three liṅgas’)

• samākhyātam: is proclaimed
• samākhyātam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ākhyāta (कृदन्त; √khyā (धातु) with sam-ā-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) — ‘is declared/called’

• tripurāṇām: of the Tripuras (three demons)
• tripurāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tripura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• mahātmanām: of the great-souled
• mahātmanām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tripurāṇām)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tripura-liṅga-traya (near Prācī-devī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a coastal sacred precinct of Prabhāsa; near a goddess shrine labeled Prācī, three ancient liṅgas stand together, radiating a subdued yet awe-inspiring presence.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Prācī Devī
• Liṅga-traya
• Tripura (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred landscapes preserve layered sanctity—Devī’s presence alongside multiple liṅgas—inviting comprehensive darśana as a form of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A cluster of three liṅgas near Prācī Devī in the Prabhāsa Kṣetra sacred zone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana is implied: “one should behold” the liṅgas at the site.