Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

शशिभानूपरागे वा कार्त्तिक्यां तु विशेषतः । प्रभासस्थानि लिंगानि प्रपूज्यन्ते वरानने

Transliteration

śaśibhānūparāge vā kārttikyāṃ tu viśeṣataḥ | prabhāsasthāni liṃgāni prapūjyante varānane

Translation

ചന്ദ്രഗ്രഹണമോ സൂര്യഗ്രഹണമോ സമയത്ത്, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് കാർത്തിക മാസത്തിൽ, ഹേ സുമുഖീ! പ്രഭാസത്തിൽ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിത ശിവലിംഗങ്ങൾ മഹാഭക്തിയോടെ പൂജിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शशिभानूपरागे: at the lunar/solar eclipse
• शशिभानूपरागे: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशि (प्रातिपदिक) + भानु (प्रातिपदिक) + उपराग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular); तत्पुरुष (चन्द्र-सूर्य-उपरागे = lunar/solar eclipse time)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• कार्त्तिक्याम्: in (the time of) Kārttikī / in Kārttika
• कार्त्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular); मास/तिथि-सम्बन्ध (in Kārttikī / in the month of Kārttika)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb: ‘especially’)

• प्रभासस्थानि: situated at Prabhāsa
• प्रभासस्थानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural); तत्पुरुष (प्रभासे स्थितानि)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• प्रपूज्यन्ते: are worshipped well; are duly worshipped
• प्रपूज्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, Plural, Passive)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular); कर्मधारय (beautiful-faced)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-sthāna liṅgas

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a ‘varānane’ (fair-faced lady) within the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An eclipse-darkened sky over the sea; devotees crowd Prabhāsa liṅgas with lamps and flowers; in Kārttika, rows of dīpas illuminate the shrine precincts.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika (month)
• Solar eclipse
• Lunar eclipse
• Prabhāsa
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred times (Kārttika and eclipses) amplify devotion; worship performed then at a powerful tīrtha yields heightened spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically its revered Śiva-liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Special Śiva-liṅga pūjā at Prabhāsa during eclipses and particularly throughout Kārttika.