Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

बिल्ववृक्षमयी मध्ये लिंगं तत्रास्ति मृन्मयम् । यत्रासौ लुब्धकः सिद्धो गतो मम पुरे पुरा

Transliteration

bilvavṛkṣamayī madhye liṃgaṃ tatrāsti mṛnmayam | yatrāsau lubdhakaḥ siddho gato mama pure purā

Translation

„Mitten in jenem Bilva‑Hain steht ein Liṅga aus Erde. An eben diesem Ort erlangte einst ein Jäger Vollendung und ging vor langer Zeit in meine Stadt, die Wohnstatt Śivas.“

Word by Word

• बिल्व-वृक्ष-मयी: made of bilva trees (i.e., consisting of bilva trees)
• बिल्व-वृक्ष-मयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बिल्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः बिल्ववृक्ष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/‘of bilva-trees’) + मयी (‘made of’)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

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

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मृन्मयम्: made of clay
• मृन्मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः मृद् + मय (‘made of clay’)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Sambandha (Relative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• असौ: that (person)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लुब्धकः: hunter
• लुब्धकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लुब्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सिद्धः: accomplished / perfected
• सिद्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• गतः: went / has gone
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (गतोऽस्मि/गतोऽभूत् इत्यर्थे)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• पुरे: to the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: formerly)

Speaker

Rudra (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bilva-vana-mṛnmayaliṅga (within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense bilva grove with a simple clay liṅga at its center; a hunter, bow lowered, stands in awe as a subtle radiance rises from the liṅga, suggesting his transformation and ascent toward Śiva’s city.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Vastrāpatha
• Bilva grove
• Mṛnmayaliṅga (earthen liṅga)
• Lubdhaka (hunter)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple devotion at a sacred liṅga—especially amid bilva trees dear to Śiva—can uplift anyone, regardless of social identity, to spiritual perfection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

An earthen liṅga situated within a bilva grove near the divine lake in the Vastrāpatha region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated, but the implication is darśana and reverence toward the liṅga in the bilva grove.