Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

इतः सागरमध्ये तु धनुषां च शतत्रये । तिष्ठते तत्र लिंगं तु सुगुप्तं लक्षणान्वितम्

Transliteration

itaḥ sāgaramadhye tu dhanuṣāṃ ca śatatraye | tiṣṭhate tatra liṃgaṃ tu suguptaṃ lakṣaṇānvitam

Translation

D’ici, au cœur de l’océan—à trois cents longueurs d’arc—se dresse un Liṅga, soigneusement dissimulé, mais portant ses signes distinctifs.

Word by Word

• इतः: from here / hence
• इतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb ‘from here/there’); English: adverb of place

• सागर-मध्ये: in the midst of the ocean
• सागर-मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘सागरस्य मध्ये’); English: Neuter locative singular; Tatpurusha

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-बोधक अव्यय (particle ‘but/indeed’); English: particle

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive measure/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; English: Neuter genitive plural

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; English: conjunction

• शत-त्रये: at a distance of three hundred (bows)
• शत-त्रये: Adhikarana (Extent/location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वकः: ‘शतानां त्रये’ = three hundreds); English: Neuter locative singular; Dvigu compound

• तिष्ठते: stands / remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु, ‘to stand’)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; English: Present indicative, 3rd person singular, middle

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb ‘there’); English: adverb

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: Neuter nominative singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-बोधक अव्यय; English: particle

• सु-गुप्तम्: well-hidden
• सु-गुप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गुप्त (कृदन्त, √गुप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘सु’ उपसर्गार्थे/अव्ययपूर्वक; English: Neuter Nom/Acc sg; past participle ‘well-hidden’

• लक्षण-अन्वितम्: endowed with marks/signs
• लक्षण-अन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त, √इ (धातु) + क्त, ‘endowed/connected’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘लक्षणैः अन्वितम्’); English: Neuter Nom/Acc sg; Tatpurusha

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāgara-madhya Guhya-liṅga (off Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor/audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A view from the Prabhāsa shore toward the open sea; beneath the waves, a concealed liṅga is suggested by a faint column of light or a whirlpool-like aura; a measuring motif (bow-lengths) is hinted through an archer’s bow or marked distance lines.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Ocean (sāgara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred may be hidden from ordinary sight; dharma-guided seeking reveals what is protected by divine intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The coastal Prabhāsa region, including an ocean-associated liṅga tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it provides a location clue for retrieval/installation in the following verses.