Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23
मूर्तिः क्वापि महेश्वरस्य महती यज्ञस्य मूलोदया तुम्बी तुंगफलावती च शतशो ब्रह्माण्डकोटिस्तथा । यन्मानं न पितामहो न च हरिर्ब्रह्माण्डमध्यस्थितो जानात्यन्यसुरेषु का च गणना सा संततं वोऽवतात्
mūrtiḥ kvāpi maheśvarasya mahatī yajñasya mūlodayā tumbī tuṃgaphalāvatī ca śataśo brahmāṇḍakoṭistathā | yanmānaṃ na pitāmaho na ca harirbrahmāṇḍamadhyasthito jānātyanyasureṣu kā ca gaṇanā sā saṃtataṃ vo'vatāt
Irgendwo steht eine gewaltige Offenbarung Maheśvaras—der urerste Quell, aus dem das Yajña entspringt—gleich einer hochragenden Kürbisranke, schwer von erhabenen Früchten, und gleich Hunderten von Krores an Universen. Sein Maß kennt weder Pitāmaha (Brahmā) noch Hari (Viṣṇu), der inmitten des Kosmos weilt; wie sollten es dann andere Götter zählen? Möge jene höchste Gestalt euch immerdar beschützen.
Kubera (hymn/stotra) addressing Śiva (deduced from preceding verse: 'stotreṇānena')
Tirtha: Somnātha in Prabhāsa (stotra locus)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Īśāna/Maheśvara (addressed deity); also the gathered devotees/pilgrims implied by ‘vo’ (you all)
Scene: A visionary cosmic form of Maheśvara: an immense, luminous axis/source of sacrifice, compared to a towering gourd-vine heavy with fruits and to countless universes; Brahmā and Viṣṇu appear dwarfed, unable to gauge its measure; the form radiates protective grace.
FAQs
Śiva’s reality is immeasurable even to the highest gods; humility and surrender before the Infinite is the heart of stotra-bhakti.
Somnātha in Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the immediate setting of this hymn, presenting Śiva there as cosmic and protective.
Recitation of a protective Śiva-stotra (hymn) as part of devotion after worship.