Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

प्रतिष्ठाप्य ततो लिंगं सोमनाथं वरानने । दापयामास विप्रेभ्यो भूरिशो यज्ञदक्षिणाम्

Transliteration

pratiṣṭhāpya tato liṃgaṃ somanāthaṃ varānane | dāpayāmāsa viprebhyo bhūriśo yajñadakṣiṇām

Translation

പിന്നീട്, ഹേ സുന്ദരമുഖിയേ, സോമനാഥ ലിംഗം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ച് ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ധാരാളം യജ്ഞദക്ഷിണ നൽകിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having established
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action), धातु: स्था with उपसर्ग प्रति

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनुक्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

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

• सोमनाथम्: Somanātha
• सोमनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक: सोम + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सोमस्य नाथः)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरानना (प्रातिपदिक: वर + आनना)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वरम् आननं यस्याः)

• दापयामास: caused to be given / gave (by causing)
• दापयामास: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative) + लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• विप्रेभ्यः: to the brāhmaṇas
• विप्रेभ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), बहुवचन

• भूरिशः: the very generous one / greatly (as epithet)
• भूरिशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (बहु/अत्यधिक)

• यज्ञदक्षिणाम्: sacrificial fee (dakṣiṇā)
• यज्ञदक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक: यज्ञ + दक्षिणा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य दक्षिणा)

Speaker

Narrator addressing Devī (listener implied by vocative varānane)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Following the liṅga installation, Soma (patron) distributes abundant dakṣiṇā to brāhmaṇas; priests hold ritual vessels, recipients bless the donor; the newly established Somanātha liṅga stands adorned with flowers and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Somanātha
• Brāhmaṇas
• Dakṣiṇā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship is completed by generosity—honoring the learned and supporting dharma through dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Somanātha Liṅga is established and celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving yajña-dakṣiṇā (ritual fees/charity) to brāhmaṇas after consecration.