Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

स्वनामकृतचिह्नानि लिंगानींद्रादिभिः क्रमात् । स्थापितानि यथा स्थाने मानवैरपि भूरिशः

Transliteration

svanāmakṛtacihnāni liṃgānīṃdrādibhiḥ kramāt | sthāpitāni yathā sthāne mānavairapi bhūriśaḥ

Translation

ഇന്ദ്രാദി ദേവന്മാർ തങ്ങളുടെ നാമചിഹ്നങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ലിംഗങ്ങളെ ക്രമമായി യഥാസ്ഥാനങ്ങളിൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; അനേകം മനുഷ്യരും അതുപോലെ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• स्वनामकृतचिह्नानि: having marks made with their own names
• स्वनामकृतचिह्नानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व-नाम-कृत-चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक; कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘लिङ्गानि’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• इन्द्रादिभिः: by Indra and others
• इन्द्रादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’समास—इन्द्रः आदिः येषाम्

• क्रमात्: in due order, successively
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण—‘क्रमेण/अनुक्रमेण’

• स्थापितानि: were installed/established
• स्थापितानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् → स्थापयति; स्थापि (कृदन्त—क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थक—‘स्थापित’ = ‘स्थापितानि (अभवन्)’

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/रीतिवाचक

• स्थाने: in (their) proper place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• मानवैः: by humans
• मानवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• भूरिशः: in great numbers, abundantly
• भूरिशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूरिशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/बहुत्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra liṅga-sthānas (collective)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like narrative tableau: Indra and other devas installing liṅgas at different stations, each liṅga labeled with its name; humans later add more shrines, creating a sacred landscape in ordered progression.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Devas
• Humans
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecrating liṅgas is a time-honored practice shared by devas and humans, mapping devotion onto sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, envisioned as a landscape filled with properly situated, named liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installation/consecration), including establishing liṅgas with identifying names/marks.