Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्वयं तु लिंगं देवेश तिष्ठेन्मन्वंतरांतरम् । कपालेश्वरनाम्ना त्वमस्मिन्स्थाने स्थितिं कुरु

Transliteration

svayaṃ tu liṃgaṃ deveśa tiṣṭhenmanvaṃtarāṃtaram | kapāleśvaranāmnā tvamasminsthāne sthitiṃ kuru

Translation

ഹേ ദേവേശാ! നിന്റെ സ്വയംഭൂ ലിംഗം മന്വന്തരാന്തരങ്ങളോളം ഇവിടെ തന്നെ നിലനില്ക്കട്ടെ. ഈ സ്ഥാനത്ത് ‘കപാലേശ്വര’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ നീ നിത്യനിവാസം സ്ഥാപിക്കുമാറാകട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• स्वयम्: by itself / of itself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वयम्-शब्दः; क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable: oneself)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• देवेश: O lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देवानाम् ईशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तिष्ठेत्: may remain / should stand
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• मन्वन्तर-अन्तरम्: through successive manvantaras
• मन्वन्तर-अन्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्वन्तर + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत्; अर्थः—मन्वन्तरान्तरं (from one manvantara to another)

• कपालेश्वरनाम्ना: by the name ‘Kapāleśvara’
• कपालेश्वरनाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालेश्वर-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—कपालेश्वर इति नाम (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थितिम्: abode / residence
• स्थितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कुरु: make / establish
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara (liṅga) at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A self-manifest liṅga rises from the earth at Prabhāsa; devotees and sages request Mahādeva to remain through manvantara-intervals; the liṅga is named Kapāleśvara, with ocean-breeze and coastal light.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Svayaṃbhū Liṅga
• Kapāleśvara
• Manvantara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is made enduring by the deity’s established presence, offering an ever-available refuge across ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara-sthāna in Prabhāsakṣetra, featuring a self-manifest liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The request is for permanent installation/abidance (sthiti) of the liṅga; it implies ongoing worship at the site.