Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अनादि निधनो देवो येन लिंगेऽवतारितः । प्राप्तवान्यो ग्रहेशत्वं भक्त्या शंभोः प्रसादतः

Transliteration

anādi nidhano devo yena liṃge'vatāritaḥ | prāptavānyo graheśatvaṃ bhaktyā śaṃbhoḥ prasādataḥ

Translation

He who installed within that liṅga the God without beginning and without death attained lordship over the planets, through devotion and by Śambhu’s grace.

Word by Word

• अनादि: beginningless
• अनादि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—न आदिः यस्य (beginningless); विशेषणम् (देवः)

• निधनः: deathless
• निधनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—न निधनम् यस्य (deathless); विशेषणम् (देवः)

• देवः: the god (Śiva)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• येन: by whom/through whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अवतारितः: was installed/caused to descend
• अवतारितः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि—अवतारितः (caused to descend/installed)

• प्राप्तवान्: obtained/attained
• प्राप्तवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्तवत्-प्रत्यय/perfect participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ग्रहेशत्वम्: lordship over the planets
• ग्रहेशत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह + ईशत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—ग्रहाणाम् ईशत्वम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• शंभोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• प्रसादतः: from (his) grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; अर्थः—प्रसादात् (from grace)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣis/śaunaka-group style, chapter context dependent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee installs a radiant, beginningless liṅga at Prabhāsa; above, the navagrahas appear as a celestial mandala acknowledging the devotee’s newly granted graheśatva through Śiva’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Grahas (planets)
• Śanaiścara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic authority is depicted as arising from bhakti and divine grace, not merely from power—Śiva is the source behind planetary influence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śanaiścaraiśvara/Kalpa-liṅga setting in Prabhāsakṣetra where the Lord is said to be installed/manifest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation/establishing the Lord in a liṅga) is referenced as the sanctifying act leading to divine reward.