Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्याश्च पूर्वदिग्भागे नातिदूरे व्यवस्थितम् । लिंगं महाप्रभावं हि सर्वपातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasyāśca pūrvadigbhāge nātidūre vyavasthitam | liṃgaṃ mahāprabhāvaṃ hi sarvapātakanāśanam

Translation

Īśvara sprach: „Östlich von jenem heiligen Ort, nicht weit entfernt, steht ein Liṅga von großer Macht, der alle Sünden vernichtet.“

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्याः: of it/of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पूर्वदिग्भागे: in the eastern quarter/part
• पूर्वदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पूर्वायाः दिशः भागः)

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय; अत्र ‘न + अति’ इत्यस्य पूर्वपद (lit. ‘not too’)

• अतिदूरे: at a very far distance (here: not very far)
• अतिदूरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (अति + दूर) = ‘very far’; न-निषेधेन ‘not very far’

• व्यवस्थितम्: situated/placed
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• महाप्रभावम्: of great power
• महाप्रभावम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय; विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पातक + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशनम्); विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) indicates an eastern liṅga near the main sacred locus; the liṅga radiates tejas, with pilgrims approaching in reverence; the landscape suggests coastal Prabhāsa with sacred markers and processional path.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Brahmeśvara (implied by next verse)
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a tīrtha-landscape, specific shrines are mapped as sources of purification; Śiva-liṅga worship is presented as universally sin-destroying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A powerful Śiva-liṅga near the referenced sacred spot in Prabhāsakṣetra, identified in this adhyāya as Brahmeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, approaching and venerating the liṅga for purification; the detailed rite follows in subsequent verses.