Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्मादीशानदिग्भागे तत्कोटिनगरं स्मृतम् । तस्य दक्षिणदिग्भागे स्थितं योजनमात्रकम् । कोटीश्वरं महालिंगं कोटियज्ञफलप्रदम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasmādīśānadigbhāge tatkoṭinagaraṃ smṛtam | tasya dakṣiṇadigbhāge sthitaṃ yojanamātrakam | koṭīśvaraṃ mahāliṃgaṃ koṭiyajñaphalapradam

Translation

Īśvara said: “From there, in the north-eastern direction, lies the city known as Koṭinagara. To its south, about one yojana away, stands the great Liṅga called Koṭīśvara, bestowing the fruit of a crore of sacrifices.”

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tasmāt: from there/from that
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे (from that/place)

• īśānadigbhāge: in the north-east direction-part
• īśānadigbhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna-diś-bhāga (प्रातिपदिक; ईशान + दिश् + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘नगरम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• koṭinagaram: Koṭi-city
• koṭinagaram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi-nagara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• smṛtam: is known/called
• smṛtam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is called/remembered)

• tasya: of it/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• dakṣiṇadigbhāge: in the southern direction-part
• dakṣiṇadigbhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā-diś-bhāga (प्रातिपदिक; दक्षिणा + दिश् + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• sthitam: situated
• sthitam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘[तत्]’/‘[नगरम्]’ इत्यस्य विधेयविशेषणम् (predicative)

• yojanamātrakam: only a yojana (in extent/distance)
• yojanamātrakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yojana-mātraka (प्रातिपदिक; योजन + मात्रक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषणम्

• koṭīśvaram: Koṭīśvara
• koṭīśvaram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/नाम

• mahāliṅgam: the great liṅga
• mahāliṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-liṅga (प्रातिपदिक; महा + लिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘कोटीश्वरम्’ इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

• koṭiyajñaphalapradam: granting the fruit of a crore of sacrifices
• koṭiyajñaphalapradam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: koṭi-yajña-phala-prada (प्रातिपदिक; कोटि + यज्ञ + फल + प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭīśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred landscape: Koṭinagara indicated in the northeast; a pilgrim caravan moves one yojana south to a grand Koṭīśvara liṅga under a tall temple gateway; priests perform fire-offerings symbolically echoing ‘koṭi-yajña’ merit.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī
• Koṭinagara
• Koṭīśvara
• Mahāliṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are mapped as living sources of dharma, where devotion can yield merits equated with vast sacrificial rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭīśvara Mahāliṅga near Koṭinagara in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite in this verse; it primarily gives location and declares the liṅga’s sacrificial-equivalent merit.