Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

अष्टादशपुराणानि तेन जातानि भूतले । लैङ्गमेकादशविधं प्रभिन्नं द्वापरे शुभम्

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśapurāṇāni tena jātāni bhūtale | laiṅgamekādaśavidhaṃ prabhinnaṃ dvāpare śubham

Translation

അവനാൽ ഭൂതലത്തിൽ പതിനെട്ടു പുരാണങ്ങൾ ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചു; മംഗളമായ ലൈംഗ (ലിംഗ) പുരാണം ദ്വാപരയുഗത്തിൽ പതിനൊന്ന് രീതിയിൽ വിപുലമായി വിഭജിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• अष्टादशपुराणानि: the eighteen Purāṇas
• अष्टादशपुराणानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टादश-पुराण (प्रातिपदिक; अष्टादश + पुराण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अष्टादश पुराणानि)

• तेन: by that (cause/means)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• जातानि: arisen; produced
• जातानि: Karta-Samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जन् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-तल (प्रातिपदिक; भू + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भूः तलम्)

• लैङ्गम्: the Liṅga(-purāṇa)
• लैङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लैङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (context: subject)

• एकादशविधम्: of eleven types
• एकादशविधम्: Karta-Samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश-विध (प्रातिपदिक; एकादश + विध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (एकादश विधाः यस्य)

• प्रभिन्नम्: greatly divided
• प्रभिन्नम्: Karta-Samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-भिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; प्र√भिद् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karta-Samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (लैङ्गम् इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A central figure (implicitly Vyāsa-like transmitter) distributes eighteen manuscript bundles to the world; a separate cluster shows the Liṅga Purāṇa divided into eleven bundles, with a Dvāpara-age banner (two-tone yuga symbolism).

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Liṅga Purāṇa
• Dvāpara-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vyāsa’s role is portrayed as making Purāṇic wisdom available on earth, even as texts diversify through time for preservation and accessibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse supports the Prabhāsa māhātmya by affirming Purāṇic authority and history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.