Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ये चैतत्पूजयिष्यंति लिंगं भक्तियुता नराः । अजेयास्ते भविष्यंति शत्रूणां राक्षसेश्वर

Transliteration

ye caitatpūjayiṣyaṃti liṃgaṃ bhaktiyutā narāḥ | ajeyāste bhaviṣyaṃti śatrūṇāṃ rākṣaseśvara

Translation

Et les hommes qui, animés de dévotion, adoreront ce liṅga—ô seigneur des Rākṣasas—deviendront invincibles face à leurs ennemis.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; relative pronoun

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

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object of worship (refers to liṅga/this)

• pūjayiṣyanti: will worship
• pūjayiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु) + ṇic (प्रेरण)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; causative stem = will worship

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

• bhakti-yutāḥ: endowed with devotion
• bhakti-yutāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + yuta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj/युज्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (भक्त्या युताः = endowed with devotion); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण of ‘नराः’

• narāḥ: men, people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ajeyāḥ: unconquerable
• ajeyāḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + jeya (प्रातिपदिक; √ji/जि)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (जेतव्य) with नञ्; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; predicate adjective

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; refers back to ‘नराः’

• bhaviṣyanti: will become
• bhaviṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• śatrūṇām: of (their) enemies
• śatrūṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; genitive of relation (in respect of enemies)

• rākṣasa-īśvara: O lord of the rākṣasas
• rākṣasa-īśvara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राक्षसानाम् ईश्वरः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja/Maheśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-liṅga (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s promise extends to future worshippers: a vision of devotees offering bilva leaves and water to the liṅga, while shadowy foes dissolve at the shrine’s threshold.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• liṅga
• Rāvaṇa (rākṣaseśvara)
• enemies (śatru)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship (bhakti) of Śiva’s liṅga is presented as a protector and empowerer, granting steadfastness and victory over adversity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Rāvaṇeśvara liṅga-site within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pūjā performed with bhakti; the promised fruit is being “ajeya” against enemies.