Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

श्रावणस्य त्वमावास्यां यस्तल्लिंगं प्रपूजयेत् । आश्वयुक्पौर्णमास्यां वा सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

śrāvaṇasya tvamāvāsyāṃ yastalliṃgaṃ prapūjayet | āśvayukpaurṇamāsyāṃ vā so'śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

ശ്രാവണ അമാവാസ്യയിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും ആ ലിംഗത്തെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിച്ചാൽ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ആശ്വയുജ പൗർണ്ണമിയിൽ—അവൻ അശ്വമേധയാഗഫലം പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• श्रावणस्य: of (the month) Śrāvaṇa
• श्रावणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• अमावास्यायाम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• आश्वयुक्पौर्णमास्यायाम्: on the full-moon day of Āśvayuja
• आश्वयुक्पौर्णमास्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्वयुज् (प्रातिपदिक) + पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (āśvayujas-paurṇamāsī = full-moon of Āśvayuja)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (aśvamedhasya phalam = fruit of Aśvamedha)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (within the Prabhāsa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-liṅga (Somnātha/Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience within the frame narrative (not explicit in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time new-moon worship with rows of lamps around the liṅga; alternatively, full-moon silver light bathing the temple courtyard; devotees offering bilva and water, priests performing abhiṣeka.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāvaṇa Amāvāsyā
• Āśvayuja Paurṇamāsī
• Liṅga (Prabhāsa Liṅga)
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused worship at sacred times and places can yield immense merit, traditionally equated with grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra and its celebrated liṅga, worshipped on Śrāvaṇa Amāvāsyā and Āśvayuja Paurṇamāsī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform full liṅga-pūjā on Śrāvaṇa Amāvāsyā or Āśvayuja Paurṇamāsī to gain Aśvamedha-equivalent merit.