Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अचलं लिंगमेतद्धि नोद्धर्त्तुं शक्यते विभो । एक एवात्र निर्दिष्ट उपायो नापरः स्मृतः

Transliteration

acalaṃ liṃgametaddhi noddharttuṃ śakyate vibho | eka evātra nirdiṣṭa upāyo nāparaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

ഈ ലിംഗം അചലമാണ്; ഹേ പ്രഭോ, ഇതിനെ ഉയർത്താൻ കഴിയില്ല. ഇവിടെ ഒരേയൊരു ഉപായം മാത്രമാണ് സൂചിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്; മറ്റൊന്നും സ്മരണയിൽ ഇല്ല.

Word by Word

• acalam: immovable
• acalam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• dhi: indeed
• dhi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed)

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

• uddhartum: to lift up / remove
• uddhartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√hṛ (हृ धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव

• śakyate: is possible
• śakyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (शक् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• vibho: O mighty one
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle: only)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here/in this matter)

• nirdiṣṭaḥ: prescribed / indicated
• nirdiṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-√diś (दिश् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• upāyaḥ: means / method
• upāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• aparaḥ: another
• aparaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• smṛtaḥ: is held/considered
• smṛtaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि: 'is considered/remembered'

Speaker

Narrator (contextual continuation; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Acala-liṅga at Arbuda (as narrated in Arbuda-khaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as nṛpottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A massive, ancient liṅga rooted into the earth/rock, radiating stillness; attendants and devas realize it cannot be moved and turn toward ritual as the only path.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Śiva (Vibhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain sacred manifestations are ‘acala’—fixed by divine will—teaching acceptance of the sacred geography and reliance on the prescribed dharmic remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda Khaṇḍa’s Liṅga-site at/near Vālakhilyāśrama, characterized by an immovable Liṅga that defines the sanctity of the spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse hints that a single specific upāya is prescribed (to be detailed in subsequent verses); here it states exclusivity rather than naming the rite.