Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

गोपादित्यात्तथा लिंगं दर्शनात्सर्वकामदम् । अस्मिन्युगे समाख्यातं संतोषेश्वरसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

gopādityāttathā liṃgaṃ darśanātsarvakāmadam | asminyuge samākhyātaṃ saṃtoṣeśvarasaṃjñitam

Translation

ഗോപാദിത്യത്തിനടുത്ത് ആ ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്; അതിന്റെ ദർശനമാത്രംകൊണ്ട് എല്ലാ അഭിലാഷങ്ങളും സിദ്ധിക്കുന്നു. ഈ യുഗത്തിൽ അത് ‘സന്തോഷേശ്വര’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്।

Word by Word

• गोपादित्यात्: from (the deity) Gopāditya
• गोपादित्यात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपादित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—गोप + आदित्य (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्ध)

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (thus/also)

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

• दर्शनात्: from seeing; by दर्शन
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/कारण), एकवचन

• सर्वकामदम्: granting all desires
• सर्वकामदम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + कामद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सर्व + कामद (कर्मधारय: ‘all-desire-giving’)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युगे: age (yuga)
• युगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाख्यातम्: is called/declared
• समाख्यातम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘समाख्यात’ = called/declared

• संतोषेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Santoṣeśvara’
• संतोषेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संतोष + ईश्वर + संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—संतोषेश्वर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘Santoṣa-īśvara’) + संज्ञित (तत्पुरुष: ‘named as’)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃtoṣeśvara (Liṅga)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Śiva-liṅga labeled ‘Saṃtoṣeśvara’ with devotees receiving blessings—some praying for health, progeny, knowledge; the shrine stands near a sun-associated marker (Gopāditya), suggesting solar light bathing the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃtoṣeśvara
• Gopāditya
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites are portrayed as living sources of grace: darśana itself is said to yield both spiritual and worldly fulfillments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Saṃtoṣeśvara Liṅga at Prabhāsa-kṣetra, associated with the vicinity of Gopāditya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of the Saṃtoṣeśvara Liṅga is emphasized as the key devotional act.