Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अघोरं च जपेत्सम्यगाज्यहोमसमन्वितम् । तल्लिंगस्य समीपस्थो यावन्मासावधिः प्रिये

Transliteration

aghoraṃ ca japetsamyagājyahomasamanvitam | talliṃgasya samīpastho yāvanmāsāvadhiḥ priye

Translation

Y debe recitarse debidamente el mantra Aghora, junto con ofrendas en un homa de ghee. Permaneciendo cerca de ese Liṅga durante un mes, oh amada, (uno se vuelve apto para su gracia).

Word by Word

• aghoraṃ: the Aghora (mantra)
• aghoraṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; मन्त्रनाम (name of mantra)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘should recite/mutter’

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘properly’

• ājya: ghee
• ājya: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• homa: fire-offering
• homa: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• samanvitam: accompanied by ghee-offering
• samanvitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam+anv+i (धातु) + kta (क्त) → samanvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ājya+homa+samanvita)

• tat: of that
• tat: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (with liṃgasya)

• liṃgasya: of that liṅga
• liṃgasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (tat+liṃga)

• samīpasthaḥ: standing near
• samīpasthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (samīpa+stha = ‘standing near’)

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time limit/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि (limit): ‘as long as’

• māsa: month
• māsa: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• avadhiḥ: the limit/period
• avadhiḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (māsa+avadhi)

• priye: O dear one
• priye: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmika Liṅga at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as 'priye' (beloved), indicating an intimate didactic dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka sits near the liṅga, counting japa beads; beside him a small homa-kuṇḍa burns with ghee offerings; the month-long observance is shown through a sequence of moons or a calendar motif.

Characters & Entities

• Aghora (mantra)
• Ājya-homa
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady practice—mantra-japa and homa performed correctly, with sustained proximity to the holy Liṅga—intensifies spiritual transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Liṅga-site within Prabhāsa-kṣetra described in the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aghora-mantra japa along with ājya-homa (ghee oblations), while staying near the Liṅga for up to one month.