Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

यदि तुष्टोऽसि मे देव भक्तिं देहि सुनिर्मलाम् । अस्मिंल्लिंगे सदा वासं कुरु देव वृषध्वज

Transliteration

yadi tuṣṭo'si me deva bhaktiṃ dehi sunirmalām | asmiṃlliṃge sadā vāsaṃ kuru deva vṛṣadhvaja

Translation

ഹേ ദേവാ, നീ എനിക്കു പ്രസന്നനായാൽ എനിക്ക് അത്യന്തം നിർമലമായ ഭക്തി ദാനം ചെയ്യണമേ. ഓ വൃഷധ്വജ ദേവാ, ഈ ലിംഗത്തിൽ സദാ വാസം ചെയ്യണമേ.

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tuṣ (तुष्, धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; predicative

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्, धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• me: to me / my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6/4), एकवचन; enclitic ‘मे’ (to me/of me)

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन

• bhaktim: devotion
• bhaktim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• dehi: give
• dehi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा, धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sunirmalām: very pure
• sunirmalām: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + nirmala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; qualifying ‘bhaktim’

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; locative ‘in this’

• liṅge: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• liṅge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• vāsam: dwelling, residence
• vāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• kuru: make, grant
• kuru: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ, धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन

• vṛṣadhvaja: O Bull-bannered one (Śiva)
• vṛṣadhvaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (vṛṣa-dhvaja: ‘whose banner is a bull’ as epithet); पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Dhruva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-liṅga (Somnātha/Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva kneels before a radiant liṅga, hands folded, addressing ‘Vṛṣadhvaja’ Śiva; the liṅga glows as if inhabited, with lamps and bilva leaves, suggesting perpetual divine residence.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja)
• Liṅga (Prabhāsa Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest boon is stainless devotion and the living presence of Śiva, not worldly or heavenly rewards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra through the sanctity of its liṅga where devotees seek Śiva’s abiding presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, liṅga-centered worship and remembrance; the request focuses on perpetual divine indwelling in the liṅga.