Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

रुद्राणां कोटि जाप्यं तु कृतं तत्रैव तैः पुरा । कोटिस्तत्रैव संसिद्धास्तस्मिंल्लिंगे न संशयः

Transliteration

rudrāṇāṃ koṭi jāpyaṃ tu kṛtaṃ tatraiva taiḥ purā | koṭistatraiva saṃsiddhāstasmiṃlliṃge na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

An eben diesem Ort vollzogen sie einst die Japa eines Krore Rudra-Mantras. Und dort selbst erlangte ein Krore die Vollendung — an jenem Liṅga besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• रुद्राणाम्: of the Rudras
• रुद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• कोटि: a crore
• कोटि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular (संख्यावाचक)

• जाप्यम्: recitation (to be done)
• जाप्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √जप् (धातु) → जाप्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular; भावे/कर्मणि यत्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘जाप्य’ = ‘that which is to be recited/recitation’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• कृतम्: was done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural (pronoun)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कोटिः: a crore
• कोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• संसिद्धाः: were accomplished/perfected
• संसिद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √सिध् (धातु) → संसिद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Locative singular (pronoun)

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Locative singular

• न: no / not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudra-japa-siddhi-sthāna in Prabhāsa (liṅga precinct)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-seeker/ṛṣi interlocutor (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages seated in disciplined rows, counting mālā, fireless inner heat implied; the liṅga at center radiates; subtle depiction of mantra-syllables as golden script rising upward; aura of attained siddhas.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere mantra-japa performed at a sanctified Śaiva site culminates in siddhi through the power of place and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Liṅga situated in Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa region) is praised as a proven seat of mantra-siddhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rudra-japa (intensive repetition of Rudra mantra) performed in the presence of the local Liṅga.