Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

गंधर्वसेना यत्रैव विमलाऽभूत्क्षया न्विता । विमलेश्वरनाम्ना वै तल्लिंगं प्रथितं क्षितौ

Transliteration

gaṃdharvasenā yatraiva vimalā'bhūtkṣayā nvitā | vimaleśvaranāmnā vai talliṃgaṃ prathitaṃ kṣitau

Translation

En ce lieu même, Gandharvasenā fut purifiée et délivrée de son mal qui la consumait. C’est pourquoi ce Liṅga est renommé sur la terre sous le nom de Vimaleśvara.

Word by Word

• गन्धर्वसेना: the Gandharva maiden/army (named Gandharvasenā)
• गन्धर्वसेना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + सेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समास: गन्धर्वाणां सेना

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• विमला: Vimalā (became pure)
• विमला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• क्षया: by (the removal of) decay; by destruction
• क्षया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अन्विता: endowed; accompanied
• अन्विता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• विमलेश्वरनाम्ना: by the name Vimaleśvara
• विमलेश्वरनाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमलेश्वर + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समास: विमलेश्वरस्य नाम (by the name ‘Vimaleśvara’)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: (Śiva-)liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• प्रथितम्: became renowned; is famed
• प्रथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + था (धातु) → प्रथित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• क्षितौ: on earth
• क्षितौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate narrative continuity of Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; explicit from next adhyāya’s opening)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gandharvasenā, previously weakened by kṣaya, stands purified and radiant beside the liṅga; attendants witness the miracle as the liṅga’s name is proclaimed.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharvasenā
• Vimaleśvara
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and relief from suffering are obtained through contact with a sanctified Śaiva site and devotion to the Liṅga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vimaleśvara Liṅga within Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse emphasizes the site’s purifying power and the Liṅga’s fame.