Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अनेककल्पस्थायी च मार्कंडेयो महातपाः । सोऽपि देवं विरूपाक्षं प्रभासे तु सदाऽर्चति

Transliteration

anekakalpasthāyī ca mārkaṃḍeyo mahātapāḥ | so'pi devaṃ virūpākṣaṃ prabhāse tu sadā'rcati

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya, der große Asket, der durch viele Kalpas fortbesteht—selbst er verehrt in Prabhāsa unablässig den Gott Virūpākṣa.

Word by Word

• अनेक-कल्प-स्थायी: enduring for many aeons
• अनेक-कल्प-स्थायी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थायी (कृदन्त, √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अनेकान् कल्पान् स्थायी)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• महातपाः: of great austerity
• महातपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् तपाः यस्य) / बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रचलित; विशेषण (मार्कण्डेयः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• विरूपाक्षम्: Virūpākṣa (the odd-eyed one; Śiva)
• विरूपाक्षम्: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूपाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• अर्चति: worships
• अर्चति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘devi’) and/or assembled sages (frame-dependent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ageless sage Mārkaṇḍeya, matted locks and deer-skin, performs uninterrupted liṅga-arcana to Virūpākṣa at luminous Prabhāsa; coastal light, sacred precinct, attendants of Śiva in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the greatest sages uphold tīrtha-worship; sacred places remain central to dharma alongside austerity and longevity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as the place where Virūpākṣa is worshiped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (regular worship) of Śiva as Virūpākṣa at Prabhāsa.