Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अघोरं च जपेत्सम्यगाज्यहोमसमन्वितम् । तल्लिंगस्य समीपस्थो यावन्मासावधिः प्रिये

Transliteration

aghoraṃ ca japetsamyagājyahomasamanvitam | talliṃgasya samīpastho yāvanmāsāvadhiḥ priye

Translation

Und man soll das Aghora-Mantra ordnungsgemäß rezitieren, verbunden mit Opfergaben in einem Ghee-Homa. Wer einen Monat lang in der Nähe jenes Liṅga verweilt, o Geliebte, (wird seiner Gnade würdig).

Word by Word

• aghoraṃ: the Aghora (mantra)
• aghoraṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; मन्त्रनाम (name of mantra)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘should recite/mutter’

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘properly’

• ājya: ghee
• ājya: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• homa: fire-offering
• homa: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• samanvitam: accompanied by ghee-offering
• samanvitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam+anv+i (धातु) + kta (क्त) → samanvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ājya+homa+samanvita)

• tat: of that
• tat: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (with liṃgasya)

• liṃgasya: of that liṅga
• liṃgasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (tat+liṃga)

• samīpasthaḥ: standing near
• samīpasthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (samīpa+stha = ‘standing near’)

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time limit/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि (limit): ‘as long as’

• māsa: month
• māsa: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• avadhiḥ: the limit/period
• avadhiḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (māsa+avadhi)

• priye: O dear one
• priye: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmika Liṅga at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as 'priye' (beloved), indicating an intimate didactic dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka sits near the liṅga, counting japa beads; beside him a small homa-kuṇḍa burns with ghee offerings; the month-long observance is shown through a sequence of moons or a calendar motif.

Characters & Entities

• Aghora (mantra)
• Ājya-homa
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady practice—mantra-japa and homa performed correctly, with sustained proximity to the holy Liṅga—intensifies spiritual transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Liṅga-site within Prabhāsa-kṣetra described in the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aghora-mantra japa along with ājya-homa (ghee oblations), while staying near the Liṅga for up to one month.