Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

सा च वेश्या भगवती शिवरात्रिप्रभावतः । तस्य लिंगस्य माहात्म्याद्रंभानामाप्सराऽभवत्

Transliteration

sā ca veśyā bhagavatī śivarātriprabhāvataḥ | tasya liṃgasya māhātmyādraṃbhānāmāpsarā'bhavat

Translation

And that courtesan, by the power of Śivarātri, became radiant and divine; and through the greatness of that Liṅga, she became an apsarā like Rambhā.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वेश्या: the courtesan
• वेश्या: Apposition (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• भगवती: blessed, venerable
• भगवती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; adjective of सा/वेश्या

• शिवरात्रि-प्रभावतः: due to the power of Śivarātri
• शिवरात्रि-प्रभावतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ablative 'due to the power of Śivarātri'

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यात्: from the greatness
• माहात्म्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ablative 'from/owing to the greatness'

• रम्भा-नाम: (one) named Rambhā
• रम्भा-नाम: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भा (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; 'named Rambhā' (नाम-समास)

• अप्सरा: an apsaras
• अप्सरा: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Śivarātri-liṅga (contextual)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtesan transformed into a radiant, celestial apsarā; the liṅga’s sanctity and Śivarātri night-vigil implied by lamps and moonlit atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Śivarātri
• Liṅga
• Rambhā
• Apsaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śivarātri and liṅga worship can purify and elevate any person, demonstrating the inclusive reach of dharma and divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa kṣetra’s liṅga shrine connected with Śivarātri merit in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri observance is referenced as the decisive spiritual power (implying fasting, vigil, and worship customary to Śivarātri).