Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तेषां तु निश्चयं ज्ञात्वा सर्वेषां वृषभध्वजः । अनुकम्पापरो भूत्वा स्वलिंगं तानदर्शयत्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ tu niścayaṃ jñātvā sarveṣāṃ vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ | anukampāparo bhūtvā svaliṃgaṃ tānadarśayat

Translation

Als der Herr mit dem Stierbanner (Śiva) den Entschluss aller erkannte, wurde er ganz von Mitgefühl bewegt und zeigte ihnen seinen eigenen Liṅga.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• निश्चयम्: decision, resolve
• निश्चयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातु: ज्ञा

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वृषभध्वजः: the one whose banner is the bull (Śiva)
• वृषभध्वजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वृषभस्य ध्वजः)

• अनुकम्पापरः: full of compassion
• अनुकम्पापरः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुकम्पा + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (अनुकम्पायां परः = compassion-oriented)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातु: भू

• स्वलिङ्गम्: his own liṅga
• स्वलिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (स्वं लिङ्गम्)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम

• अदर्शयत्: showed
• अदर्शयत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) (णिच् causative: दर्शय)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; धातु: दृश्, णिच् (causative)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa liṅga-prādurbhāva (Somnātha context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varavarṇinī (addressed lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, bearing the bull-banner, turns toward the sages with softened eyes; a luminous liṅga-form begins to appear—either in his hand, before him, or emerging from the ground—while the sages bow in awe; compassion is the emotional center.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣabhadhvaja
• Śiva
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady intention (niścaya) and devotion draw forth Śiva’s compassion and direct revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa sacred region, where Śiva’s Liṅga becomes manifest for devotees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the focus is on darśana as the fruit of devotion.