Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

अहं लिंगस्वरूपस्थो भगो विष्णुः प्रकीर्तितः । बीजसंस्थो भवेद्ब्रह्मा विष्णुरापः प्रकीर्तितः

Transliteration

ahaṃ liṃgasvarūpastho bhago viṣṇuḥ prakīrtitaḥ | bījasaṃstho bhavedbrahmā viṣṇurāpaḥ prakīrtitaḥ

Translation

ഞാൻ ലിംഗസ്വരൂപത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്നു; വിഷ്ണു ‘ഭഗ’ (ഭാഗ്യവിഹിതദാതാവ്) എന്നു പ്രഖ്യാതൻ. ബ്രഹ്മാ ബീജത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതൻ; വിഷ്ണു ‘ആപഃ’ അഥവാ ജലസ്വരൂപനെന്നും കീര്ത്തിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थक; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st case)

• लिङ्ग-स्वरूप-स्थः: situated in the form of the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-स्वरूप-स्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त; √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; विशेषण (to अहम्)

• भगः: Bhaga (the deity/portion)
• भगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; समनाधिकरण (predicate nominative)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; समनाधिकरण

• प्रकीर्तितः: is proclaimed/declared
• प्रकीर्तितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is proclaimed’

• बीज-संस्थः: situated in the seed
• बीज-संस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थ (कृदन्त; सम्+√स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; विशेषण (to ब्रह्मा)

• भवेत्: would be/becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; समनाधिकरण

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-प्रातिपदिक); प्रथमा (1st); बहुवचन; ‘waters’

• प्रकीर्तितः: is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त; PPP)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Somnātha liṅga at center radiating a vertical beam; to one side Viṣṇu holding a water pot and symbols of prosperity (bhaga), to the other Brahmā holding a golden seed/lotus-germ; streams of water circle the liṅga, and sprouting life emerges at the base.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Bhaga
• Āpaḥ
• Bīja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred symbols (liṅga, seed, waters) are theological pointers to divine presence and cosmic function, not grounds for division.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where liṅga-centric devotion is framed within a broader unity of deities and cosmic principles.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is given; the verse supports liṅga-pūjā as a primary devotional focus.