Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सावर्णिकेश्वरं नाम त्रेतायां तस्य संज्ञितम् । ततस्तु द्वापरे देवि गालवेन महात्मना । सम्यगाराधितस्तत्र लिंगरूपीवृषध्वजः

Transliteration

sāvarṇikeśvaraṃ nāma tretāyāṃ tasya saṃjñitam | tatastu dvāpare devi gālavena mahātmanā | samyagārādhitastatra liṃgarūpīvṛṣadhvajaḥ

Translation

Im Tretā-Yuga war er unter dem Namen Sāvarṇikeśvara bekannt. Dann, im Dvāpara-Yuga, o Göttin, verehrte der großherzige Gālava dort in rechter Weise den Herrn mit dem Stierbanner (Vṛṣadhvaja), der dort in der Gestalt des Liṅga weilt.

Word by Word

• सावर्णिकेश्वरम्: (the) Lord named Sāvarṇikeśvara
• सावर्णिकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावर्णिक + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सावर्णिकस्य ईश्वरः)

• नाम: name / called
• नाम: Visheshana (Apposition/विशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (as ‘named’)

• त्रेतायाम्: in the Tretā (yuga)
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of time)

• तस्य: of it / of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• संज्ञितम्: was designated / was named
• संज्ञितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ज्ञा (धातु) → संज्ञित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘was designated’

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereafter)

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (yuga)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of time)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• गालवेन: by Gālava
• गालवेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-हेतौ (agent/instrument)

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘Gālava’)

• सम्यक्: properly / duly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• आराधितः: was worshipped
• आराधितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु) → आराधित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘was worshipped’

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

• लिङ्गरूपी: having the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गरूपः/लिङ्गरूपी = having the form of a liṅga)

• वृषध्वजः: Śiva (whose banner is the bull)
• वृषध्वजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य ध्वजः वृषः सः)

Speaker

Śiva (to Devī/Umā, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāvarṇikeśvara / (contextually) the Prabhāsa liṅga later called Gālavēśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two linked vignettes: the liṅga at Prabhāsa honored as Sāvarṇikeśvara in Tretā; then Dvāpara scene where the sage Gālava performs worship to the Bull-bannered Lord abiding as a liṅga, with Nandī emblem and ritual offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Sāvarṇikeśvara
• Gālava
• Dvāpara Yuga
• Tretā Yuga
• Liṅga
• Vṛṣadhvaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The same Lord is approached through changing yuga-contexts, yet devotion and proper worship remain the enduring path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Śiva is said to be present as a liṅga and worshipped by celebrated figures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sincere ārādhana (formal worship) of the liṅga, exemplified by Gālava.