Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स प्रभासं समासाद्य तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम् । प्रतिष्ठाप्य महालिंगं सोमेशादुत्तरे स्थितम्

Transliteration

sa prabhāsaṃ samāsādya tapastepe sudāruṇam | pratiṣṭhāpya mahāliṃgaṃ someśāduttare sthitam

Translation

Having reached Prabhāsa, he undertook exceedingly severe austerities. He established a great liṅga, situated to the north of Someśa.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa (holy place)
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; देशनाम

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/ल्यप्); “having reached/approached”

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तेपे: performed (austerity)
• तेपे: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुदारुणम्: very severe
• सुदारुणम्: Qualifier of object (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः-विशेषण)

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√स्था (धातु) + णिच् + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/ल्यप्); “having स्थापित/installed”

• महालिङ्गम्: a great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महद् लिङ्गम्)

• सोमेशात्: from (the shrine of) Someśa/Someśvara
• सोमेशात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• उत्तरे: to the north / in the northern (side)
• उत्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; दिशावाचक

• स्थितम्: situated/placed
• स्थितम्: Qualifier of object (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; अत्र ‘महालिङ्गम्’ इति कर्मस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śāṇḍilyeśvara (installed north of Someśa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śāṇḍilya performs fierce austerities at Prabhāsa—standing amid the elements—then installs a large liṅga; nearby, a signifying shrine of Someśa is shown, with the new liṅga placed to its north; celestial beings shower flowers at consecration.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Śāṇḍilya
• Someśa
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites are sanctified through tapas and consecration (pratiṣṭhā), linking geography with disciplined spiritual effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śāṇḍilyeśvara at Prabhāsa, described as north of Someśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (installation/consecration) of a mahāliṅga is mentioned, along with the performance of severe tapas.