Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततस्तत्पतितं लिंगं तत्क्षणाच्छंकरस्य च । तस्मिन्प्रपतिते भूमौ प्राकंपत वसुंधरा

Transliteration

tatastatpatitaṃ liṃgaṃ tatkṣaṇācchaṃkarasya ca | tasminprapatite bhūmau prākaṃpata vasuṃdharā

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ നിമിഷം തന്നെ ശങ്കരന്റെ ലിംഗം വീണു; അത് ഭൂമിയിൽ പതിച്ചപ്പോൾ ഭൂമി വിറച്ചു.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय; tad-प्रभव)
• Form: काल/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to liṅgam)

• patitam: fallen
• patitam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pat (पत् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to liṅgam)

• liṅgam: the linga
• liṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्ता (of implied 'was')

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-समर्थ (in compound with kṣaṇa); विशेषणम्

• kṣaṇāt: from the moment
• kṣaṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; अपादान (from that moment)

• śaṃkarasya: of Śaṅkara
• śaṃkarasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• tasmin: in that (event/condition)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to prapatite)

• prapatite: when it had fallen
• prapatite: Sati-saptami (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√pat (पत् धातु)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तस्य सप्तमी (locative absolute); 'when (it) had fallen down'

• bhūmau: on the earth/ground
• bhūmau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• prākaṃpata: trembled
• prākaṃpata: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√kamp (कम्प् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vasuṃdharā: the earth
• vasuṃdharā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasuṃdharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The liṅga (symbolically rendered) strikes the ground; concentric shockwaves ripple through earth; trees bend, dust rises; sages and women stagger in fear; Śiva’s presence looms as a calm center amid trembling nature.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Vasundharā (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The liṅga symbolizes cosmic generative power; disturbance to that principle is portrayed as disturbance to the very stability of the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The liṅga narrative functions within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, grounding Śaiva sacred geography in a cosmic-significance story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes the portentous consequence that leads to later resolution.