Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ततोऽसौ राक्षसेन्द्रस्तु गत्वैकान्ते सुगह्वरे । लिंगं च स्थापयामास भक्त्या परमया युतः

Transliteration

tato'sau rākṣasendrastu gatvaikānte sugahvare | liṃgaṃ ca sthāpayāmāsa bhaktyā paramayā yutaḥ

Translation

Alors ce seigneur des rākṣasas se rendit dans une grotte retirée et admirable ; et, animé d’une dévotion suprême, il y établit un liṅga.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = ‘ततः/then, thereafter’

• asau: that (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• rākṣasa-indraḥ: lord of the rākṣasas
• rākṣasa-indraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राक्षसानाम् इन्द्रः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) = emphasis/contrast

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriya (Auxiliary action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘गत्वा’ = having gone

• ekānte: in a secluded place
• ekānte: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative of place

• su-gahvare: in a very deep/hidden cave
• su-gahvare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + gahvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सुन्दरं/अत्यन्तं गह्वरम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/and)

• sthāpayāmāsa: installed, set up
• sthāpayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + ṇic (प्रेरण)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद, perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense = ‘स्थापयामास’ (he caused to be placed/installed)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; instrumental of manner

• paramayā: supreme, highest
• paramayā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘भक्त्या’

• yutaḥ: endowed (with)
• yutaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj/युज्)
• Form: क्त (past participle) used adjectivally; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘युक्तः’ = endowed/associated

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī Vāk (disembodied voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ekānta-guhā-liṅga (subsidiary liṅga within Prabhāsa)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed in nearby verse as 'deveśi')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The rākṣasa-king withdraws to a secluded, beautiful cave-glen and installs a Śiva-liṅga with supreme devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Liṅga
• Somēśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even those known for might can turn toward devotion; establishing a liṅga signifies surrender and sustained worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra’s Somēśvara sphere, where liṅga-sthāpana is portrayed as meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (establishing a Śiva-liṅga) performed with supreme devotion.