Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

चतुष्कोणांतरा क्षेत्रमेवं मात्राप्रमाणतः । एकरात्रोषितो भूत्वा तस्य लिंगस्य सन्निधौ

Transliteration

catuṣkoṇāṃtarā kṣetramevaṃ mātrāpramāṇataḥ | ekarātroṣito bhūtvā tasya liṃgasya sannidhau

Translation

So ist das heilige Gebiet dem Maß nach als ein viereckiger Bezirk festgelegt. Wer eine Nacht in der Gegenwart jenes Liṅga verweilt, erlangt die genannten Früchte.

Word by Word

• catuṣkoṇa: four-cornered
• catuṣkoṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuṣkoṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (catuṣ + koṇa) — neuter nominative singular; used adjectivally

• antarā: within, inside
• antarā: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: antarā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थे — ‘within/inside’ (locative sense)

• kṣetram: the sacred field/region
• kṣetram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — neuter nominative singular

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — ‘thus/in this manner’

• mātrā: by measure
• mātrā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental singular

• pramāṇataḥ: according to the standard/measure
• pramāṇataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pramāṇa + tas (प्रातिपदिक + तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त — ‘according to/with reference to’

• eka: one
• eka: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद — ‘one’

• rātra: night
• rātra: Upapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद — ‘night’

• uṣitaḥ: having stayed (for a night)
• uṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vas (धातु) + uṣita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ekarātra-uṣitaḥ’ इति षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावे तत्पुरुषसमासः — past participle, masc nom sg

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √bhū (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — ‘having become’

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive singular

• liṅgasya: of the liṅga
• liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive singular

• sannidhau: in the presence (nearby)
• sannidhau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ikṣvākvīśvara-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at the liṅga: the quadrangular courtyard lit by oil lamps; pilgrims resting or sitting in meditation; the liṅga visible in sanctum glow; quiet guardians at the corners.

Characters & Entities

• Ikṣvākvīśvara/Vṛṣabheśa Liṅga
• Kṣetra (quadrangular precinct)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Physical proximity and time spent in a consecrated space are treated as spiritually transformative acts of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The measured quadrangular kṣetra surrounding the Ikṣvākvīśvara/Vṛṣabheśa Liṅga at Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekarātra-uṣa (staying one night) in the Liṅga’s presence within the defined kṣetra.