Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । निर्विकारस्य मल्लिंगं वालखिल्यैः प्रपातितम् । कथं भूयः प्रगृह्णामि यावच्छुद्धिर्न जायते

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | nirvikārasya malliṃgaṃ vālakhilyaiḥ prapātitam | kathaṃ bhūyaḥ pragṛhṇāmi yāvacchuddhirna jāyate

Translation

ശ്രീഭഗവാൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—എന്റെ നിർവികാരമായ ഈ ലിംഗത്തെ വാലഖില്യർ താഴെ വീഴ്ത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു. ശുദ്ധി ജനിക്കുവോളം ഞാൻ ഇതിനെ വീണ്ടും എങ്ങനെ സ്വീകരിക്കും?

Word by Word

• śrī-bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• śrī-bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थ-शीर्षक (honorific epithet)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nirvikārasya: of the changeless one
• nirvikārasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirvikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mat-liṅgam: my liṅga (emblem)
• mat-liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मम लिङ्गम्)

• vālakhilyaiḥ: by the Vālakhilyas
• vālakhilyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālakhilya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• prapātitam: made to fall / knocked down
• prapātitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√pat (पत् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-सूचक (caused to fall/knocked down)

• katham: how?
• katham: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• bhūyaḥ: again
• bhūyaḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

• pragṛhṇāmi: do I take up / accept
• pragṛhṇāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yāvat: until
• yāvat: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सीमाबोधक/temporal limit: until)

• śuddhiḥ: purity
• śuddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• jāyate: arises / is born
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Śiva (Śrī Bhagavān)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda liṅga episode (specific name not in verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Petitioners in the episode (devas/sages); Vālakhilyas implicated

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks: the liṅga lies cast down; Vālakhilya sages stand nearby; Śiva’s calm face contrasts with the disruption; emphasis on ‘śuddhi’ as luminous cleansing aura yet to arise.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Vālakhilya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when the divine is intrinsically changeless, the tradition emphasizes śuddhi (purity) in sacred handling—teaching reverence, restraint, and dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vālakhilyāśrama Liṅga-site in the Arbuda narrative, where the question of restoring the Liṅga’s placement becomes central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit requirement of śuddhi (purificatory restoration) prior to re-accepting/re-installing the Liṅga.