Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । एवं सप्रार्थमानानां मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । निर्भिद्य पर्वतश्रेष्ठं सहसा लिंगमुद्गतम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | evaṃ saprārthamānānāṃ munīnāṃ bhāvitātmanām | nirbhidya parvataśreṣṭhaṃ sahasā liṃgamudgatam

Translation

Pulastya sprach: «So geschah es: Während die Weisen, im Geist gezügelt, ihre Bitte vorbrachten, brach plötzlich ein Liṅga hervor und spaltete den erhabensten der Berge.»

Word by Word

• pulastyaḥ: Pulastya
• pulastyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• sa-prārthamānānām: of those who were beseeching (together)
• sa-prārthamānānām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + prārthamāna (प्रातिपदिक; वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: समास: स + प्रार्थमान (सह/समेत), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्राय) अर्थे 'प्रार्थयमान'

• munīnām: of the sages
• munīnām: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• bhāvitātmanām: of the self-disciplined/purified-souled
• bhāvitātmanām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvita + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: भावित-आत्मन् (whose selves are purified/controlled), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• nirbhidya: having split open
• nirbhidya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nir + bhid (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• parvataśreṣṭham: the best of mountains
• parvataśreṣṭham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• sahasā: suddenly
• sahasā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (suddenly/forcefully)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• udgatam: arisen, emerged
• udgatam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud + gam (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭīśvara (emergent liṅga at Arbuda)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vasudhādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of austere sages stand in prayer before a mighty mountain; the rock face splits and a radiant liṅga thrusts forth, scattering stone fragments while a divine glow fills the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Munis
• Liṅga
• Parvata (mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotees are inwardly refined and united in prayer, sacred manifestation can arise powerfully, sanctifying the landscape itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda mountain region where the liṅga is described as emerging by splitting the mountain—foundational to the Koṭiliṅga site’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse frames the origin-miracle that underwrites later pilgrimage merit and worship.