Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तच्चतुर्युगनामाढ्यं स्मृतं पातकनाशनम् । पूर्वं कामेश्वरंनाम त्रेतायां पुलहेश्वरम्

Transliteration

taccaturyuganāmāḍhyaṃ smṛtaṃ pātakanāśanam | pūrvaṃ kāmeśvaraṃnāma tretāyāṃ pulaheśvaram

Translation

সেই (লিঙ্গ) চার যুগে বিভিন্ন নামে বিভূষিত এবং পাপবিনাশক বলে স্মরণ করা হয়। পূর্বে তার নাম ছিল ‘কামেশ্বর’; ত্রেতাযুগে (তা) ‘পুলহেশ্বর’ নামে পরিচিত।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta/Qualifier (कर्ता/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गम्/तत्-पूर्वोक्तम्)

• चतुर्युगनामाढ्यम्: endowed with names in the four yugas
• चतुर्युगनामाढ्यम्: Karta/Qualifier (कर्ता/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘चतुर्युग-नाम-आढ्य’ = ‘endowed with names in the four yugas’; विशेषण (तत्/लिङ्गम्)

• स्मृतम्: is called/remembered as
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Copular-Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त; √स्मृ (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘is remembered/called’

• पातकनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पातकनाशनम्: Karta/Qualifier (कर्ता/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘पातकस्य नाशनम्’; विशेषण (तत्/लिङ्गम्)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण — ‘formerly’

• कामेश्वरम्: Kāmeśvara
• कामेश्वरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः; नाम (लिङ्गस्य)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming/नामार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक निपात — ‘by name/called’

• त्रेतायाम्: in the Tretā (yuga)
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (काल)

• पुलहेश्वरम्: Pulaheśvara
• पुलहेश्वरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलह (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः; नाम (लिङ्गस्य)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śākalakaleśvara (yuga-names: Kāmeśvara; in Tretā: Pulaheśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single liṅga radiates four concentric halos labeled by yuga-names; sages chant as the names shift like seasons, signifying continuity and sin-destruction.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmeśvara
• Pulaheśvara
• Caturyuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The shrine’s sanctity is timeless—recognized in every yuga—while its names shift to match the age’s sacred memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The yuga-named Liṅga (contextually Śākalakaleśvara) within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, famed for destroying sins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse emphasizes sin-destruction as an inherent fruit of visiting/worshiping this Liṅga.