Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

आद्यं लिंगोद्भवं देवि ऋषिकोपान्निपातितम् । ये केचिदृषयस्तत्र देवदारुवने स्थिताः

Transliteration

ādyaṃ liṃgodbhavaṃ devi ṛṣikopānnipātitam | ye kecidṛṣayastatra devadāruvane sthitāḥ

Translation

हे देवी, आद्य स्वयम्भू लिङ्ग ऋषियों के क्रोध से गिराया गया; वहाँ देवदारु-वन में जो-जो ऋषि निवास करते थे, वे ही थे।

Word by Word

• ādyam: primeval / first
• ādyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying liṃgodbhavam)

• liṃgodbhavam: the liṅga-origin (manifestation)
• liṃgodbhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga-udbhava (प्रातिपदिक; ‘liṅga’ + ‘arising/origin’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular)

• devi: O देवी
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), सम्बोधन विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• ṛṣikopāt: from the sages’ anger
• ṛṣikopāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi-kopa (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sage’ + ‘anger’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), पञ्चमी विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम् (singular)

• nipātitam: cast down
• nipātitam: Karma (Object predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-pat (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• kecit: some
• kecit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (plural); अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite: ‘some’)

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (plural)

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

• devadāruvane: in the deodar forest
• devadāruvane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devadāru-vana (प्रातिपदिक; ‘deodar’ + ‘forest’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), सप्तमी विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम् (singular)

• sthitāḥ: were situated / stayed
• sthitāḥ: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mūlacaṇḍīśa (svayambhū liṅga context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A primal, self-manifest liṅga in a sacred forest; rishis dwelling in Devadāru-vana, their anger causing the liṅga’s casting down—nature and divinity intertwined.

Characters & Entities

• Devi (Pārvatī)
• Ṛṣis
• Devadāruvana
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography preserves moral memory: anger (kopa) disturbs dharma, yet the aftermath can crystallize into a revered shrine tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devadāruvana-associated sacred setting tied to the Mūlacaṇḍīśa account within Prabhāsa Kṣetra narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the participants and cause behind the shrine’s origin narrative.