Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सरस्वत्यां पुनस्तत्र लिंगसंख्या न विद्यते । एवं पंचमुखा देवि लिंगमाला विभूषिता

Transliteration

sarasvatyāṃ punastatra liṃgasaṃkhyā na vidyate | evaṃ paṃcamukhā devi liṃgamālā vibhūṣitā

Translation

Mais là, dans la contrée de la Sarasvatī, le nombre des liṅga est inconnu. Ainsi, ô Devī, Pañcamukhā—le Seigneur aux cinq visages—est paré d’une guirlande de liṅga.

Word by Word

• sarasvatyām: in/at Sarasvatī
• sarasvatyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• punaḥ: again/further
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb), पुनरावृत्ति/पुनः (again/further)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• liṅga-saṃkhyā: the number of liṅgas
• liṅga-saṃkhyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (liṅgānāṃ saṃkhyā)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• vidyate: exists/is found
• vidyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद्, ज्ञान)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/सत्तायाम् (exists/is found)

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• paṃcamukhā: five-faced
• paṃcamukhā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃca (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (पञ्च मुखानि यस्याः सा)

• devi: O goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• liṅga-mālā: garland/series of liṅgas
• liṅga-mālā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (liṅgānāṃ mālā)

• vibhūṣitā: adorned/embellished
• vibhūṣitā: Kriya (Predicate adjective/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + √bhūṣ (भूष्, अलङ्कारे)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्यय (क्त, past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (adorned)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī-tīrtha zone of Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wide sacred riverscape where countless small liṅgas emerge along banks and in shrines; above them Pañcamukha Śiva appears, adorned with a garland made of miniature liṅgas, while Devī listens in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Pañcamukha (Śiva)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence in a holy land can be immeasurable; the devotee is invited to approach with awe rather than calculation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī-related sacred zone within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described as having innumerable liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the imagery encourages liṅga-darśana and worship throughout the Sarasvatī area.