Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

रुद्रेश्वराभिधमिदं वृद्धलिंगं स्वयंभुवम् । वेश्यानंगवतीनाम्नी शिवरात्रिपरायणा

Transliteration

rudreśvarābhidhamidaṃ vṛddhaliṃgaṃ svayaṃbhuvam | veśyānaṃgavatīnāmnī śivarātriparāyaṇā

Translation

यह स्वयंभू प्राचीन लिंग ‘रुद्रेश्वर’ नाम से प्रसिद्ध है। अनंगवती नाम की एक वेश्या, जो शिवरात्रि-व्रत में परायण थी, (यहाँ पूजन करती थी)।

Word by Word

• rudreśvara-abhidham: called ‘Rudreśvara’
• rudreśvara-abhidham: Karma (Qualifier of idaṃ/vṛddhaliṃgam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudreśvara (प्रातिपदिक; rudra + īśvara) + abhidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘रुद्रेश्वर इति अभिधा यस्य’ (named Rudreśvara)

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• vṛddha-liṅgam: the ancient liṅga
• vṛddha-liṅgam: Karta (Apposition to idam/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddha (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वृद्धं च तत् लिङ्गम्)

• svayaṃbhuvam: self-manifest
• svayaṃbhuvam: Karta (Qualifier in apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svayaṃbhū (प्रातिपदिक; svayam + √bhū)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (स्वयं भवति इति) विशेषण (to vṛddhaliṅgam)

• veśyā: a courtesan
• veśyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veśyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• aṅgavatī-nāmnī: named Aṅgavatī
• aṅgavatī-nāmnī: Karta (Qualifier of veśyā/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṅgavatī (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थे/उपपद: ‘अङ्गवती इति नाम यस्याः’ (named Aṅgavatī)

• śivarātri-parāyaṇā: devoted to Śivarātri
• śivarātri-parāyaṇā: Karta (Qualifier of veśyā/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śivarātri (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शिवरात्रौ परायणः/परायणा) विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (a devotee/pilgrim speaking to sages), within Sūta’s Prabhāsa narrative frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudreśvara (Svayaṃbhu Vṛddhaliṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munipuṅgava-s

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The shrine is identified: an ancient self-manifest liṅga named Rudreśvara. Nearby, Anaṅgavatī, a courtesan devoted to Śivarātri, is introduced as a key worshipper.

Characters & Entities

• Rudreśvara
• Vṛddhaliṅga
• Svayaṃbhu-liṅga
• Anaṅgavatī
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śivarātri devotion sanctifies all—status does not block grace when one is steadfast in vrata and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rudreśvara, the ancient self-manifest (svayaṃbhu) liṅga in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of Śivarātri (Śivarātri-vrata), centered on devotion and worship at the liṅga.