Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

प्रतिष्ठाप्य महालिंगं नित्यं पूजापरेण च । तत्र जप्तो महामन्त्रो मृत्युञ्जय इति श्रुतः

Transliteration

pratiṣṭhāpya mahāliṃgaṃ nityaṃ pūjāpareṇa ca | tatra japto mahāmantro mṛtyuñjaya iti śrutaḥ

Translation

Having installed the great Liṅga and worshipping it daily with devoted attention, the great mantra recited there is renowned as the Mṛtyuñjaya—the “Conqueror of Death” mantra.

Word by Word

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having स्थापित; having installed
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund/absolutive), ‘having installed/established’

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः महत् लिङ्गम्

• नित्यम्: always; daily
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पूजापरेण: by one devoted to worship
• पूजापरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजा + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः पूजायां परः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• जप्तः: was recited
• जप्तः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘महामन्त्रः’ इति विशेषण

• महामन्त्रः: the great mantra
• महामन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः महान् मन्त्रः

• मृत्युञ्जयः: Mṛtyuñjaya (conqueror of death)
• मृत्युञ्जयः: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु + जि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः मृत्युम् जयति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• श्रुतः: is heard/known (as)
• श्रुतः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘महामन्त्रः’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the assembled sages (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mṛtyuñjayeśa

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great liṅga newly installed on a pedestal; a devoted ascetic performs daily worship—abhiṣeka with water and milk, bilva leaves, incense and lamp—while the air vibrates with the Mṛtyuñjaya mantra; subtle aura suggesting protection from death.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāliṅga
• Mṛtyuñjaya (mantra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing and regularly worshipping Śiva in a sacred place, supported by mantra-japa, is presented as a direct path to protection and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra), within the Prabhāsa Māhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation), nitya-pūjā (daily worship), and japa of the Mṛtyuñjaya mantra.