Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

संस्थाप्य विधिवत्पूज्य लिंगं वर्षसहस्रकम् । अलकाधिपतिर्जातस्तत्र शंभोः प्रसादतः

Transliteration

saṃsthāpya vidhivatpūjya liṃgaṃ varṣasahasrakam | alakādhipatirjātastatra śaṃbhoḥ prasādataḥ

Translation

বিধিপূর্বক লিঙ্গ প্রতিষ্ঠা করে তিনি সহস্র বছর নিয়মমাফিক পূজা করলেন। সেখানে শম্ভুর প্রসাদে তিনি অলকার অধিপতি হলেন।

Word by Word

• saṃsthāpya: having installed
• saṃsthāpya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) from causative stem saṃsthāpaya- (< sam + √sthā); ‘having installed’

• vidhivat: according to the prescribed rite
• vidhivat: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi-vat (अव्यय; विधि + वत्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘according to rule’

• pūjya: having worshipped
• pūjya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/य-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/absolutive-like in sequence); here as gerund ‘having worshipped’ (from √pūj)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object of saṃsthāpya/pūjya)

• varṣasahasrakam: for a thousand years
• varṣasahasrakam: Karma (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa-sahasraka (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ष + सहस्रक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration as object/extent)

• alakādhipatiḥ: lord of Alakā
• alakādhipatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alakā-adhipati (प्रातिपदिक; अलका + अधिपति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• jātaḥ: became
• jātaḥ: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP) from √jan; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भावे/परिणामे (became)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (adverb of place)

• śaṃbhoḥ: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• prasādataḥ: from (his) grace
• prasādataḥ: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (cause)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kubera-pratiṣṭhita liṅga at Prabhāsa (Dhanadeśvara)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kubera ceremonially installs the liṅga with Vedic priests; then a time-lapse sense of a thousand-year worship—rows of lamps, seasonal garlands, repeated abhiṣeka—ending with Śiva’s blessing and Kubera enthroned as Alakādhipati.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Alakā
• Alakādhipati (Kubera)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained, rule-based worship of Śiva brings both spiritual grace and rightful prosperity when aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dhanada-made Liṅga near Rāhuliṅga in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where Kubera worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhivat-saṃsthāpanā (proper installation) and vidhivat-pūjā (rule-based worship) over a long vow-like duration.