Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

इतः सागरमध्ये तु धनुषां च शतत्रये । तिष्ठते तत्र लिंगं तु सुगुप्तं लक्षणान्वितम्

Transliteration

itaḥ sāgaramadhye tu dhanuṣāṃ ca śatatraye | tiṣṭhate tatra liṃgaṃ tu suguptaṃ lakṣaṇānvitam

Translation

Desde aquí, en medio del océano—a una distancia de trescientas longitudes de arco—se alza un Liṅga, bien oculto y, sin embargo, provisto de sus señales distintivas.

Word by Word

• इतः: from here / hence
• इतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb ‘from here/there’); English: adverb of place

• सागर-मध्ये: in the midst of the ocean
• सागर-मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘सागरस्य मध्ये’); English: Neuter locative singular; Tatpurusha

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-बोधक अव्यय (particle ‘but/indeed’); English: particle

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive measure/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; English: Neuter genitive plural

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

• शत-त्रये: at a distance of three hundred (bows)
• शत-त्रये: Adhikarana (Extent/location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वकः: ‘शतानां त्रये’ = three hundreds); English: Neuter locative singular; Dvigu compound

• तिष्ठते: stands / remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु, ‘to stand’)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; English: Present indicative, 3rd person singular, middle

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb ‘there’); English: adverb

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: Neuter nominative singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-बोधक अव्यय; English: particle

• सु-गुप्तम्: well-hidden
• सु-गुप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गुप्त (कृदन्त, √गुप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘सु’ उपसर्गार्थे/अव्ययपूर्वक; English: Neuter Nom/Acc sg; past participle ‘well-hidden’

• लक्षण-अन्वितम्: endowed with marks/signs
• लक्षण-अन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त, √इ (धातु) + क्त, ‘endowed/connected’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘लक्षणैः अन्वितम्’); English: Neuter Nom/Acc sg; Tatpurusha

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāgara-madhya Guhya-liṅga (off Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor/audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A view from the Prabhāsa shore toward the open sea; beneath the waves, a concealed liṅga is suggested by a faint column of light or a whirlpool-like aura; a measuring motif (bow-lengths) is hinted through an archer’s bow or marked distance lines.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Ocean (sāgara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred may be hidden from ordinary sight; dharma-guided seeking reveals what is protected by divine intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The coastal Prabhāsa region, including an ocean-associated liṅga tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it provides a location clue for retrieval/installation in the following verses.