Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

ध्यात्वा तु सुचिरं कालं वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह । शिवलिंगं निपतितं पृथिव्यां सुरसत्तमाः

Transliteration

dhyātvā tu suciraṃ kālaṃ vākyametaduvāca ha | śivaliṃgaṃ nipatitaṃ pṛthivyāṃ surasattamāḥ

Translation

久しく瞑想したのち、彼はこう告げた。「おお、神々のうち最勝なる者たちよ、シヴァのリンガが大地に落ちた。」

Word by Word

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having meditated/reflected)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधबोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• सुचिरम्: very long
• सुचिरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-चिर (प्रातिपदिक; सु + चिर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying कालम्)

• कालम्: time (for a long while)
• कालम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time extent/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); कालपरिमाणे द्वितीया (accusative of duration)

• वाक्यम्: speech, statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying वाक्यम्)

• उवाच: said, spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed (narrative)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/वृत्तान्तबोधक-अव्यय (narrative particle)

• शिवलिङ्गम्: Śiva-liṅga
• शिवलिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + लिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य लिङ्गम्)

• निपतितम्: fallen down
• निपतितम्: Visheshana (Participial/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शिवलिङ्गम्)

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुरसत्तमाः: O best of the gods
• सुरसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां सत्तमाः)

Speaker

Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha/Prabhāsa liṅga (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (probable)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, after deep meditation, announces the cause: a radiant Śiva-liṅga has fallen/descended to earth; devas listen in awe as a beam of light suggests the liṅga’s presence below.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Devas
• Earth (Pṛthivī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred symbols are not merely local objects; their disruption signifies a cosmic dharmic imbalance requiring reverent restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the liṅga-related event becomes the axis of the māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, restoration of the liṅga is the needed sacred act, though the procedure is not stated here.