Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

दैत्यसूदनसांनिध्ये दत्त्वार्घ्यं लवणांभसि । अर्घ्येश्वरं प्रतिष्ठाप्य दैत्यसूदन पश्चिमे

Transliteration

daityasūdanasāṃnidhye dattvārghyaṃ lavaṇāṃbhasi | arghyeśvaraṃ pratiṣṭhāpya daityasūdana paścime

Translation

In the presence of Daityasūdana, she offered arghya into the salty waters; and installing Arghyeśvara, she placed it to the west of Daityasūdana.

Word by Word

• दैत्यसूदनसांनिध्ये: in the vicinity of Daityasūdana
• दैत्यसूदनसांनिध्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्यसूदन (प्रातिपदिक) + सांनिध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यसूदनस्य सांनिध्ये = in the proximity of Daityasūdana)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having given’

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya (offering)
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• लवणाम्भसि: in the salty water (sea-water)
• लवणाम्भसि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (लवणम् अम्भः = salty water)

• अर्घ्येश्वरम्: Arghyeśvara (name of a deity/linga)
• अर्घ्येश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्घ्यस्य ईश्वरः)

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having स्थापित (installed)
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having installed/established’

• दैत्यसूदन: O Daityasūdana
• दैत्यसूदन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्यसूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; दिशावाचक (in the west)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Māhātmya narration style within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arghyeśvara (west of Daityasūdana) at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sarasvatī offers arghya into the salt sea before Daityasūdana; then she installs a Śiva-liṅga named Arghyeśvara to the west, marking the sacred compass of the shore.

Characters & Entities

• Daityasūdana
• Arghyeśvara
• Ocean (salty waters)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts (arghya) and consecration (pratiṣṭhā) transform natural space—like the sea-shore—into a dharmic sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arghyeśvara tīrtha/shrine at Prabhāsa Kṣetra, situated west of the Daityasūdana locus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering arghya (water oblation) and establishing (pratiṣṭhā) a Śiva-liṅga named Arghyeśvara.