Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

यावन्न चार्चयेद्देवि सोमेशं लिंगनायकम् । लीलया वापि तैर्द्रष्टुं तत्पदं दुर्लभं परम्

Transliteration

yāvanna cārcayeddevi someśaṃ liṃganāyakam | līlayā vāpi tairdraṣṭuṃ tatpadaṃ durlabhaṃ param

Translation

O Devī, so long as one does not worship Someśa, the Lord of the Liṅga, then—even with all such practices—to behold that supreme state remains exceedingly difficult to attain, not easily gained even as if in play.

Word by Word

• यावत्: until/as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अवधि-बोधक-अव्ययम् (correlative: “as long as/until”)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• च: and/nor
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः; here with na = “nor”

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; “should worship”

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्

• सोमेशं: Someśa (Lord of Soma)
• सोमेशं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + ईश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—“सोमस्य ईशः”

• लिङ्गनायकम्: leader/lord of the liṅga
• लिङ्गनायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + नायक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; apposition to सोमेशम्; तत्पुरुषः—“लिङ्गस्य नायकः”

• लीलया: playfully/easily
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; manner/instrument “playfully/easily”

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-निपातः (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-निपातः (also/even)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; “by them” (refers to earlier ‘anyaiḥ…’)

• द्रष्टुं: to see
• द्रष्टुं: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (infinitive) = “to see”

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; demonstrative modifying पदम्

• पदं: state/abode/goal
• पदं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; object of infinitive द्रष्टुम्

• दुर्लभं: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; adjective of पदम्

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; adjective of पदम्

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśvara/Somnātha at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee (any āśrama) stands before the Somnātha liṅga, offering bilva and water; behind, the earlier practices (yajña, tapas, pilgrimages) appear as faded silhouettes, while the liṅga radiates the ‘supreme state’ as a visible light.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Someśa (Somānātha)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The decisive key to the highest attainment is worship of Someśa (Somānātha); other disciplines become fruitful when oriented to this devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, especially the shrine of Someśa/Somānātha (Somnath).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (formal worship) of Someśa, the Liṅga-Lord—implying darśana, pūjā, and devotional service at the kṣetra.