Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । सर्वदेवमयं लिङ्गं स्थापितं तत्र पाण्डव । प्रभासेश इति ख्यातं सर्वलोकेषु दुर्लभम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | sarvadevamayaṃ liṅgaṃ sthāpitaṃ tatra pāṇḍava | prabhāseśa iti khyātaṃ sarvalokeṣu durlabham

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു— ഹേ പാണ്ഡവാ, അവിടെ സർവ്വദേവമയമായ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. അത് ‘പ്രഭാസേശ’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം; സർവ്വലോകങ്ങളിലും ദുർലഭം.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (śrīmān mārkaṇḍeyaḥ)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वदेवमयम्: consisting of all gods
• सर्वदेवमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + देव + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुषार्थः (sarvaiḥ devaiḥ mayaṃ = consisting of all gods)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थापितम्: established
• स्थापितम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) (णिच् causative: स्थापय-)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (placed/established)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• पाण्डव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रभासेशः: Prabhāseśa
• प्रभासेशः: Karta/Predicate (Name-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (prabhāsasya īśaḥ = lord of Prabhāsa)

• इति: thus, called
• इति: Sambandha/Avyaya (Marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ख्यातम्: is known
• ख्यातम्: Kriya/Predicate (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (renowned/known)

• सर्वलोकेषु: in all worlds
• सर्वलोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (sarveṣu lokeṣu)

• दुर्लभम्: rare, difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (hard to obtain)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāseśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya narrates to a Pāṇḍava: a liṅga embodying all gods is installed—Prabhāseśa—radiant, multi-deity aura subtly visible around the liṅga, conveying rarity and cosmic significance.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Pāṇḍava (listener)
• Prabhāseśa
• Liṅga
• All Devas (sarvadeva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A Śiva-liṅga can be praised as the convergence of all divine powers; approaching such a form is portrayed as a rare spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāseśa—named liṅga and its associated tīrtha on/near the Narmadā (Revā) within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, liṅga-sthāpanā (consecratory establishment) is referenced; later verses typically connect this to darśana, sparśa, snāna, and worship.