Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

एवं विकल्प्य लिंगानि अश्वमेध फलानि तु । दर्शनेनापि सर्वेषां स्पर्शाद्धि द्विगुणं फलम्

Transliteration

evaṃ vikalpya liṃgāni aśvamedha phalāni tu | darśanenāpi sarveṣāṃ sparśāddhi dviguṇaṃ phalam

Translation

So verleihen diese Liṅgas in mannigfachen Gestalten die Früchte des Aśvamedha-Opfers. Bei allen bringt schon das bloße Darśana, das andächtige Schauen, Nutzen; doch durch Berührung, so heißt es, wird die Frucht doppelt.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus')

• विकल्प्य: having arranged/considered
• विकल्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having arranged/considered'

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• अश्वमेधफलानि: fruits of the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधफलानि: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वमेधस्य फलानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (here: predicate nominative plural)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'indeed/but')

• दर्शनेन: by seeing
• दर्शनेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'even/also')

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (people)
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural: 'of all')

• स्पर्शात्: than (mere) touch / from touch
• स्पर्शात्: Apadana (Comparison source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular: 'from/than touch')

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle: 'indeed/for')

• द्विगुणम्: twofold, double
• द्विगुणम्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (द्वौ गुणौ यस्य/द्विगुणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'फलम्' इति विशेषणम्

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (here: Nominative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa liṅga-samūha (various liṅgas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim group moves from shrine to shrine in Prabhāsa, beholding varied liṅgas; some devotees merely take darśana with folded hands, while others reverently touch the liṅga base, the text’s ‘double fruit’ suggested by doubled halos or mirrored light.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Aśvamedha
• Darśana
• Sparśa
• Prabhāsa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a tīrtha, devotion expressed through darśana and respectful contact can replace even grand Vedic rites in spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The liṅga-sthalas within Prabhāsakṣetra, praised as granting Aśvamedha-level merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-darśana and liṅga-sparśa (touch) as meritorious acts; touch is said to double the benefit.