Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अहंकारावृताः सर्वे न वदन्ति च मां क्वचित् । एवं मनसि संधाय लिंगपार्श्वमुपागतः

Transliteration

ahaṃkārāvṛtāḥ sarve na vadanti ca māṃ kvacit | evaṃ manasi saṃdhāya liṃgapārśvamupāgataḥ

Translation

«Tous sont voilés par l’orgueil; ils ne me parlent point. Ayant ainsi résolu en mon esprit, je m’approchai du côté du Liṅga.»

Word by Word

• अहंकारावृताः: covered by ego
• अहंकारावृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहंकार-आवृत (प्रातिपदिक; अहंकार + आवृत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘आवृत’; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (अहंकारेण आवृताः)

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• वदन्ति: speak, address
• वदन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: anywhere, ever
• क्वचित्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चित-देशवाचक (indefinite adverb: ‘anywhere/ever’)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• मनसि: in (his) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• संधाय: having resolved/considered
• संधाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-धा (धातु) → संधाय (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having fixed/placed (in mind)’

• लिंगपार्श्वम्: the side of the liṅga
• लिंगपार्श्वम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक; लिङ्ग + पार्श्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य पार्श्वम्)

• उपागतः: approached, came near
• उपागतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-आ-गम् (धातु) → उपागत (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), (नन्दी/अहम् implied) कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Nandikeśvara (contextually, narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāśupateśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandī, having judged the assembly as ego-veiled, walks with measured steps toward the liṅga shrine; the crowd fades behind him as the liṅga’s sanctum draws focus, lamp-light glinting on stone.

Characters & Entities

• Nandikeśvara
• Liṅga
• Pāśupata (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahaṃkāra blocks right conduct; turning toward the Liṅga symbolizes taking refuge in Śiva when social recognition fails.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a Śaiva field where devotion to the Liṅga is central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, approaching the Liṅga for worship; no detailed ritual steps are stated here.