Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

परीक्षिता मया भूमिर्न युक्तं नगरं त्विह । अत्र देवकुलं साक्षाल्लिंगस्य पतनं तथा

Transliteration

parīkṣitā mayā bhūmirna yuktaṃ nagaraṃ tviha | atra devakulaṃ sākṣālliṃgasya patanaṃ tathā

Translation

«J’ai examiné ce sol; il n’est pas convenable d’y bâtir une cité. Car ici se tient, manifestement, un sanctuaire divin, et c’est ici même que le Liṅga est descendu (tombé).»

Word by Word

• परीक्षिता: examined
• परीक्षिता: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + ईक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘examined’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• भूमिः: the land
• भूमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• युक्तम्: proper
• युक्तम्: Predicate (Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) / युक्त (प्रातिपदिकवत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘proper/appropriate’ (impersonal predicate)

• नगरम्: a city
• नगरम्: Karta (Logical subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (impersonal construction)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विरोध-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अत्र: here/in this place
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• देवकुलम्: a divine shrine/temple
• देवकुलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + कुल (प्रातिपदिक); देवकुल (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘देवानां कुलम्/गृहम्’

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘directly, manifestly’

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• पतनम्: falling/descent
• पतनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत् (धातु) + ल्युट् (कृदन्त) / पतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाववाचक-नाम (action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: and also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/उपमान-अव्यय (adverb: ‘also/likewise’)

Speaker

Viśvakarmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvakarmā, after surveying the ground, gestures toward a radiant devakula and a marked spot of ‘liṅga-pātana’; the landscape is kept open and sanctified, discouraging city walls and markets.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarmā
• Devakula (divine precinct)
• Liṅga (Śiva-liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain zones in a tīrtha are reserved for direct sanctity and austerity; worldly settlement should not encroach upon them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sanctified spot within Prabhāsa Kṣetra identified as a devakula and as the place of the Liṅga’s patana (descent).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A spatial prescription: do not establish a city upon the immediate sacred precinct of the Liṅga’s descent.