Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कृपया परयाविष्टो भक्तिभावान्महेश्वरः । कोटिं कृत्वाऽत्मलिंगानां तस्मिन्स्थाने व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo bhaktibhāvānmaheśvaraḥ | koṭiṃ kṛtvā'tmaliṃgānāṃ tasminsthāne vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

പരമകരുണയിൽ ആവിഷ്ടനായി, ഭക്തരുടെ ഭക്തിഭാവം കൊണ്ടു പ്രേരിതനായ മഹേശ്വരൻ തന്റെ ലിംഗങ്ങളുടെ ഒരു കോടി പ്രകടിപ്പിച്ച് അതേ സ്ഥലത്ത് സ്ഥാപിതനായി.

Word by Word

• कृपया: by compassion
• कृपया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; हेतौ/साधने (by/through compassion)

• परया: supreme, great
• परया: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; कृपया इति विशेषण (qualifying 'compassion')

• आविष्टः: pervaded/filled
• आविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ√विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past participle: 'entered/possessed'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• भक्तिभावात्: from devotional feeling
• भक्तिभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भक्तेः भावः = devotional feeling); अपादान/हेतु (from/owing to)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कोटिम्: a crore
• कोटिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; संख्या/परिमाण (a crore)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having made/done'

• आत्मलिङ्गानाम्: of (his) own liṅgas
• आत्मलिङ्गानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (आत्मनः लिङ्गानि = his own liṅgas)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितः: was stationed, remained
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/स्थितिवाचक (past participle used as predicate: 'stood/was stationed'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya (contextual narrator within Arbuda Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭiliṅga-sthāna of Arbuda (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpaśreṣṭha addressed in surrounding verses (king as listener, contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, moved by compassion, radiates into innumerable liṅgas appearing across the sacred ground; sages prostrate as the landscape becomes dotted with shining liṅgas.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva responds to sincere devotion with compassion, making sacred presence accessible through liṅga-manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred spot in the Arbuda region (Arbuda Khaṇḍa) where the Koṭiliṅga manifestation becomes established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes the power of bhakti and the sanctity of darśana at the manifested liṅga-site.