Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तथा लिंगं समासाद्य भक्त्या पूजा कृता ततः । वेदोक्तैः परमैः सूक्ष्मैः स्तुतिं चक्रे महीपते

Transliteration

tathā liṃgaṃ samāsādya bhaktyā pūjā kṛtā tataḥ | vedoktaiḥ paramaiḥ sūkṣmaiḥ stutiṃ cakre mahīpate

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ലിംഗത്തെ സമീപിച്ച് അവൻ ഭക്തിയോടെ പൂജ ചെയ്തു; പിന്നെ വേദോക്തമായ പരമ സൂക്ഷ്മ സ്തോത്രങ്ങളാൽ, ഹേ മഹീപതേ, സ്തുതി ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus/in that manner)

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

• समासाद्य: having approached/reached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (gerund)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृता: was performed
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पूजा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• वेदोक्तैः: with Veda-prescribed (hymns/words)
• वेदोक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-उक्त (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + उक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदेन उक्तैः)

• परमैः: supreme, excellent
• परमैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सूक्ष्मैः: subtle
• सूक्ष्मैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• स्तुतिम्: praise, hymn
• स्तुतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चक्रे: performed/made
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महीपते: O king (lord of the earth)
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही-पति (प्रातिपदिक; मही + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (महीयाः पतिः)

Speaker

Narrator addressing a listener as “Mahīpati” (O King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda liṅga (unnamed in verse)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (महीपते)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After retreating, Viṣṇu stands before the liṅga with folded hands, performing orderly worship; offerings are placed, lamps glow, and the atmosphere shifts from blazing ordeal to serene devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (Māheśvara Liṅga, context)
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion culminates in worship and Vedic praise; surrender replaces rivalry, turning the encounter into bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda-region Māheśvara Liṅga is implicitly glorified as an object of worship within this local mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pūjā performed with bhakti, accompanied by vedokta (Veda-grounded) subtle and exalted hymns (stuti).