Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

भैरवो यत्र वै देव्या दूतत्वे विनियोजितः । तेन लिंगं समाख्यातं भैरवेश्वरनामकम्

Transliteration

bhairavo yatra vai devyā dūtatve viniyojitaḥ | tena liṃgaṃ samākhyātaṃ bhairaveśvaranāmakam

Translation

Where Bhairava was indeed commissioned by the Goddess as her messenger—because of that event, the liṅga there is celebrated by the name Bhairaveśvara.

Word by Word

• भैरवः: Bhairava
• भैरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'where')

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• देव्याः: of the Goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दूतत्वे: in the role of a messenger
• दूतत्वे: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विनियोजितः: was appointed/assigned
• विनियोजितः: Karma (Patient; passive subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नि-युज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाख्यातम्: was called/declared
• समाख्यातम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (लिङ्गम् इति कर्मणि विशेषण)

• भैरवेश्वरनामकम्: named ‘Bhairaveśvara’
• भैरवेश्वरनामकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव-ईश्वर-नामक (प्रातिपदिक; components: भैरव + ईश्वर + नामक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within the Māhātmya (context: Īśvara/Śiva’s teaching stream)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairaveśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clear etiological statement: the place where Bhairava was appointed as Devī’s messenger is marked by a liṅga known as Bhairaveśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava
• Devī
• Bhairaveśvara
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is anchored in divine acts; a place becomes a tīrtha through remembered theophany and service to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhairaveśvara Liṅga at Prabhāsa Kṣetra, identified by the episode of Bhairava’s appointment as messenger.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual here; it establishes the site’s identifying legend (māhātmya-nidāna).