Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तत्स्थानं रक्षते देवि लिंगरूपेण शंकरः । तमाराध्य प्रयत्नेन ततः कुण्डं समाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

tatsthānaṃ rakṣate devi liṃgarūpeṇa śaṃkaraḥ | tamārādhya prayatnena tataḥ kuṇḍaṃ samāśrayet

Translation

Ô Déesse, ce lieu est protégé par Śaṅkara sous la forme même du liṅga. L’ayant adoré avec un effort fervent, qu’on se rende ensuite au bassin sacré (kuṇḍa).

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• रक्षते: protects
• रक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् — Present, 3rd person singular, middle

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Vocative singular

• लिङ्गरूपेण: in the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपेण: Karana (Means/Mode/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/प्रकार), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य रूपम्) — Neuter, Instrumental singular

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया — Absolutive

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental singular

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय — indeclinable (then/thereafter)

• कुण्डम्: the pond
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• समाश्रयेत्: should resort to/approach
• समाश्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् — Optative, 2nd person singular, middle

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuṇḍa associated with the kṣetrapāla-liṅga (Prabhāsa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bows before a liṅga identified with Śaṅkara the protector; after offering flowers and lamp, the pilgrim walks toward a nearby kuṇḍa shimmering under temple light.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Liṅga
• Kuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approach sacred waters through prior devotion: worship of Śiva sanctifies the pilgrim’s intention before engaging the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A kuṇḍa (sacred pond) within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, approached after liṅga worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform earnest ārādhana (worship) of Śaṅkara in liṅga-form, then proceed to the kuṇḍa (implying tīrtha-approach and likely snāna/darśana).