Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठतनयान्हत्वा तत्र कौशिकसत्तमः । स्थापयामास तल्लिंगं मुक्तपापस्ततोऽभवत्

Transliteration

vasiṣṭhatanayānhatvā tatra kauśikasattamaḥ | sthāpayāmāsa talliṃgaṃ muktapāpastato'bhavat

Translation

വസിഷ്ഠന്റെ പുത്രന്മാരെ വധിച്ച ശേഷം, അവിടെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ കൗശികൻ ആ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; അതിനുശേഷം അവൻ പാപമുക്തനായി.

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठतनयान्: the sons of Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठतनयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वसिष्ठस्य तनयाः)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund), ‘having slain’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• कौशिकसत्तमः: the best of the Kauśikas
• कौशिकसत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिक + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (कौशिकः सत्तमः)

• स्थापयामास: established/installed
• स्थापयामास: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; णिजन्त-धातु (स्थापयति)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मुक्तपापः: freed from sin
• मुक्तपापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त + पाप (प्रातिपदिक; मुच्-धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (कौशिकसत्तमः); समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य पापं मुक्तम् सः)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb), ‘then/thereupon’

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continued context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kauśikeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kauśika, burdened by the killing of Vasiṣṭha’s sons, establishes a Śiva-liṅga at Prabhāsa; the atmosphere shifts from violent aftermath to solemn consecration—water pots, bilva leaves, fire offerings—ending in his release from sin.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Kauśika (Viśvāmitra)
• Kauśikeśvara-liṅga
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even severe transgression is shown as remediable through repentance expressed as Śiva-liṅga installation and devotion within a sanctified kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kauśikeśvara, connected to Kauśika’s (Viśvāmitra’s) liṅga-pratiṣṭhā in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (establishing a Śiva-liṅga) is presented as a purificatory act leading to release from sin.