Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

चतुर्मुखं महालिंगं दर्शनात्पापनाशनम्

Transliteration

caturmukhaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ darśanātpāpanāśanam

Translation

ಚತುರ್ಮುಖ ಮಹಾಲಿಂಗವು ದರ್ಶನಮಾತ್ರದಿಂದಲೇ ಪಾಪನಾಶ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

• चतुर्मुखम्: four-faced
• चतुर्मुखम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्-मुख (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चत्वारि मुखानि यस्य)

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्)

• दर्शनात्: from (its) sight
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (by/from seeing)

• पापनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘महालिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य नाशनम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (implied continuation of the dialogue context in the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturmukha Mahāliṅga at Vṛddha-Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A monumental four-faced liṅga stands in a sanctum; each face oriented to a cardinal direction, with lamps and devotees; the atmosphere conveys immediate purification through sight.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Mahāliṅga
• Caturmukha Liṅga
• Śiva (Śaṅkara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence in a sacred form grants purification; even darśana is taught as a powerful means of pāpa-kṣaya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha) is praised through the glory of its Caturmukha Mahāliṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is prescribed here; the act emphasized is darśana (reverent viewing) of the Liṅga.