Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

स्वयं भूलिंगरूपेण संस्थितस्तेजसां निधिः । गोवत्सान्नैरृते भागे दृश्यते लोहयष्टिका

Transliteration

svayaṃ bhūliṃgarūpeṇa saṃsthitastejasāṃ nidhiḥ | govatsānnairṛte bhāge dṛśyate lohayaṣṭikā

Translation

Dort steht der Schatz göttlichen Glanzes von selbst in der Gestalt eines Bhūliṅga. Südwestlich von Govatsa sieht man einen eisernen Stab als Merkzeichen.

Word by Word

• स्वयम्: by himself; personally
• स्वयम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic adverb)

• भूलिंगरूपेण: in the form of a self-manifest liṅga
• भूलिंगरूपेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-लिङ्ग + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भू-लिङ्गस्य रूपम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental: ‘in the form of’)

• संस्थितः: established; stationed
• संस्थितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘nidhiḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/established’

• तेजसाम्: of splendors/energies
• तेजसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive)

• निधिः: treasure; repository
• निधिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गोवत्सात्: from Govatsa (tīrtha)
• गोवत्सात्: Apādāna (Reference point: ‘from/than’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative)

• नैरृते: in the south-western
• नैरृते: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; दिशावाचक-विशेषणम् (south-western) qualifying ‘bhāge’

• भागे: in the region/part
• भागे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative)

• दृश्यते: is seen; appears
• दृश्यते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘is seen/appears’

• लोहयष्टिका: an iron staff/rod
• लोहयष्टिका: Karta (Subject of passive appearance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह + यष्टिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लोहमयी यष्टिका/लोहस्य यष्टिका); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Govatsa (Prabhāsa micro-tīrtha) with Bhūliṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sunlit coastal tīrtha landscape of Prabhāsa: a small svayaṃbhū Bhūliṅga radiating tejas, with an iron staff planted as a marker in the south-west quarter of a named spot ‘Govatsa’; pilgrims approach with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūliṅga (self-manifest liṅga form)
• Govatsa Tīrtha
• Lohayaṣṭikā (iron staff marker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred is sometimes self-revealing (svayaṃbhū); physical markers also guide pilgrims to recognize and honor holy presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Govatsa region in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, featuring a self-established Bhūliṅga and a visible lohayaṣṭikā marker.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the verse provides identifying features—self-manifest liṅga presence and a directional landmark.