Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कपालेश्वरनामा च यत्रेशो लिंगमूर्तिमान् । संस्थितः पापनाशाय दर्शनात्स्पर्शनान्नृणाम्

Transliteration

kapāleśvaranāmā ca yatreśo liṃgamūrtimān | saṃsthitaḥ pāpanāśāya darśanātsparśanānnṛṇām

Translation

Dort ist der Herr, in der Gestalt des Liṅga verkörpert, unter dem Namen Kapāleśvara eingesetzt, zur Vernichtung der Sünden der Menschen—durch bloßes Schauen und sogar durch Berührung.

Word by Word

• कपालेश्वरनामा: named Kapāleśvara
• कपालेश्वरनामा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपालेश्वर + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'कपालेश्वरः नाम यस्य सः'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• ईशः: the Lord
• ईशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लिङ्गमूर्तिमान्: having the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गमूर्तिमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग + मूर्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—लिङ्गरूपा मूर्तिः यस्य

• संस्थितः: is established
• संस्थितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'standing/established'

• पापनाशाय: for the destruction of sins
• पापनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; समासः—पापस्य नाशः

• दर्शनात्: from (its) seeing/by seeing
• दर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• स्पर्शनात्: from touching/by touching
• स्पर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style in Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An austere Śaiva shrine in a northern precinct; a dark stone liṅga named Kapāleśvara radiates sanctity; pilgrims approach for darśana and reverent touch, with skull-bowl motifs subtly present.

Characters & Entities

• Kapāleśvara
• Īśa
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence as a Liṅga in a sacred place removes sin; reverent darśana and sparśana are themselves purifying acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara—Śiva’s Liṅga-site within Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The text highlights the efficacy of darśana (seeing) and sparśana (touching) the Kapāleśvara Liṅga for pāpa-nāśa (sin-destruction).