Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

प्रसीद भगवंस्तस्माल्लिंगमेतत्सुरेश्वर । स्थाने स्थापय भद्रं ते यावन्न स्यात्प्रजाक्षयः

Transliteration

prasīda bhagavaṃstasmālliṃgametatsureśvara | sthāne sthāpaya bhadraṃ te yāvanna syātprajākṣayaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് പ്രസാദിക്കണമേ, ഹേ ഭഗവൻ, ഹേ സുരേശ്വരാ! ഈ ലിംഗത്തെ അതിന്റെ യഥാസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിക്കണമേ—നിനക്കു മംഗളം വരട്ടെ—പ്രജകളുടെ നാശം സംഭവിക്കാതിരിക്കുവാൻ.

Word by Word

• प्रसीद: be gracious
• प्रसीद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवन्: O Blessed Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = therefore/from that reason

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; लिङ्गम् इति विशेषणम्

• सुरेश्वर: O Lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) = सुर + ईश्वर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्थाने: in (its proper) place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थापय: install/place
• स्थापय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• भद्रम्: welfare/auspiciousness
• भद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; आशीर्वादार्थे (auspiciousness/welfare)

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; ‘to you/for you’

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक (until/as long as)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• स्यात्: may be/should occur
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रजाक्षयः: destruction of creatures
• प्रजाक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजाक्षय (प्रातिपदिक) = प्रजा + क्षय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘प्रजानां क्षयः’

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra liṅga-sthāna (unnamed in this verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees/devas supplicate Śiva with folded hands before a displaced or fallen liṅga; the landscape indicates Arbuda hills; urgency to reinstall the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Devas
• Prajā (creatures)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence anchored in a sacred form is sought for loka-saṅgraha—the welfare and continuity of beings—showing dharma as protection of life and order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Liṅga at/near Vālakhilyāśrama in the Arbuda Khaṇḍa setting, whose ‘proper placing’ sacralizes the landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear implication of liṅga-sthāpana/pratiṣṭhā (establishing the Liṅga in its rightful place) as a stabilizing sacred act.