Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अब्रवीत्पातितं लिंगं वालखिल्यैः पिनाकिनः । तेनैते दारुणोत्पाताः संजाता भयसूचकाः

Transliteration

abravītpātitaṃ liṃgaṃ vālakhilyaiḥ pinākinaḥ | tenaite dāruṇotpātāḥ saṃjātā bhayasūcakāḥ

Translation

Il dit : «Le liṅga du porteur du Pināka (Śiva) a été fait tomber par les sages Vālakhilya ; c’est pourquoi ces présages terribles sont apparus, annonçant la crainte.»

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• पातितम्: caused to fall; fallen
• पातितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + पातित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययः (णिच् causative + क्त past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• वालखिल्यैः: by the Vālakhilyas
• वालखिल्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (instrumental), बहुवचन (plural)

• पिनाकिनः: of Pinākin (Śiva)
• पिनाकिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• तेन: thereby; by that
• तेन: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• दारुणोत्पाताः: terrible portents
• दारुणोत्पाताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• संजाताः: have arisen
• संजाताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• भयसूचकाः: indicating fear
• भयसूचकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + सूचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘of fear’), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Pitāmaha (Brahmā) (reported by Sūta) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-associated Śiva-liṅga (specific name not given in the provided verses)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā reveals the cause: a Śiva-liṅga lies toppled, while Vālakhilya sages—tiny, radiant ascetics—stand nearby; the air is thick with dread as portents swirl across the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Vālakhilya
• Pinākin (Śiva)
• liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespect toward Śiva’s sacred principle (liṅga) destabilizes the world; restoration of reverence restores order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda-kṣetra is the implied locus where the liṅga-event occurs, making it a potent Shaiva sacred geography within the Skanda Purana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied remedy is re-establishing the liṅga in its proper place; the explicit instruction follows in subsequent verses.