Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 136

Devanagari script

गुह्यं चैव तु संभूतं न कश्चिद्वेद तत्परम् । जन्माभ्यासेन तल्लिंगं ज्ञायते भुवि मानवैः

Transliteration

guhyaṃ caiva tu saṃbhūtaṃ na kaścidveda tatparam | janmābhyāsena talliṃgaṃ jñāyate bhuvi mānavaiḥ

Translation

Wahrlich, dies ist ein tiefes Geheimnis, und niemand erkennt seine höchste Wahrheit vollständig. Nur durch Übung, die sich über viele Geburten erstreckt, wird jener Liṅga von den Menschen auf Erden wahrhaft erkannt.

Word by Word

• गुह्यम्: secret
• गुह्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• सम्भूतम्: has arisen
• सम्भूतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण (arisen/come into being)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (that)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (supreme/ultimate)

• जन्माभ्यासेन: by practice across births
• जन्माभ्यासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् + अभ्यास (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जन्म-आभ्यासेन = by practice over births)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (that)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ज्ञायते: is known
• ज्ञायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (is known/comes to be known)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुवि/भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• मानवैः: by humans
• मानवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somēśa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sādhaka sits before the Somēśa Liṅga; behind him, faint silhouettes of past lives form a spiral of practice leading to a sudden inner illumination.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Mānava (humans)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True knowledge of Śiva is not merely intellectual; it ripens through sustained sādhana accumulated over lifetimes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra and its central Liṅga associated with Somēśa/Somnātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes long-term spiritual discipline (abhyāsa) as the means to realization.