Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तत्र पाशुपताः श्रेष्ठा मम लिंगार्चने रताः । तेषां चैव निवासार्थं तद्देव्या निर्मितं वनम्

Transliteration

tatra pāśupatāḥ śreṣṭhā mama liṃgārcane ratāḥ | teṣāṃ caiva nivāsārthaṃ taddevyā nirmitaṃ vanam

Translation

അവിടെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ പാശുപതർ എന്റെ ലിംഗാർചനയിൽ ലീനരായി വസിക്കുന്നു. അവരുടെ വാസത്തിനായിട്ടാണ് ആ വനത്തെ ദേവി നിർമ്മിച്ചത്।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of place)

• पाशुपताः: Pāśupatas (followers of Paśupati)
• पाशुपताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठाः: excellent, foremost
• श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पाशुपताः)

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• लिङ्ग-अर्चने: in the worship of the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-अर्चने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य अर्चनम्)

• रताः: engaged, devoted
• रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पाशुपताः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination particle)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण particle)

• निवास-अर्थम्: for (their) residence
• निवास-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवास (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (निवासाय अर्थः) = प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose)

• तत्-देव्या: by that goddess
• तत्-देव्या: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सा देवी)

• निर्मितम्: made, constructed
• निर्मितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि√मा (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वनम्)

• वनम्: forest, grove
• वनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīmukha-vana (Pāśupata-nivāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-āśrama settlement: Pāśupata elders and disciples performing liṅga worship with ash, rudrākṣa, bilva; Devī’s presence implied as the forest’s protective, creative force—trees arranged like a sanctified enclosure.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Pāśupatas
• Liṅga
• Śrīmukha-vana
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Liṅga-worship and disciplined community life (Pāśupata path) are upheld as sanctifying forces within a holy region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrīmukha-vana in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a divinely established abode for Pāśupata practitioners.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅgārcana (worship of the Śiva-liṅga) is highlighted as the central practice of the Pāśupatas.