Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

वृत्रं हत्वा पुरा शक्रो माहेन्द्रं स्थाप्य शंकरम् । लिंगं च मुक्तपापौघस्ततोऽसौ त्रिदिवं गतः

Transliteration

vṛtraṃ hatvā purā śakro māhendraṃ sthāpya śaṃkaram | liṃgaṃ ca muktapāpaughastato'sau tridivaṃ gataḥ

Translation

പൂർവ്വം വൃത്രനെ വധിച്ച ശേഷം ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) ശങ്കരനെ ‘മാഹേന്ദ്ര ലിംഗ’മായി സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; പാപപ്രവാഹങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനായി പിന്നെ ത്രിദിവത്തിലേക്ക് (സ്വർഗ്ഗം) ഗമിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• वृत्रम्: Vṛtra
• वृत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत्वा (कृदन्त—क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• माहेन्द्रम्: Maheindra (connected with Indra)
• माहेन्द्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; महेन्द्र-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘शंकरम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• स्थाप्य: having installed
• स्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् → स्थापयति; स्थाप्य (कृदन्त—ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘स्थापयित्वा’ इत्यर्थे

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: a liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• मुक्तपापौघः: freed from a flood of sins
• मुक्तपापौघः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त-पाप-ओघ (प्रातिपदिक; मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त—क्त))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहिर्वृत्त्या विशेषण—‘शक्रः’ इति विशेष्यस्य; अर्थः—पापौघात् मुक्तः

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरं/तस्मात्

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्रिदिवम्: heaven (the threefold heaven)
• त्रिदिवम्: Gati-karma (Goal/Object of motion/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-दिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त—क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘(असौ) गतः (अभवत्)’

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māhendra-liṅga at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-ādi assembly (typical purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, still bearing the shadow of Vṛtra-vadha, installs a radiant Śiva-liṅga named Māhendra at Prabhāsa; devas witness the washing away of sin as the western sea glimmers nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śakra)
• Vṛtra
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Māhendra Liṅga
• Tridiva (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the mighty seek purification; consecration of Śiva (as liṅga) is upheld as a supreme means of absolution and restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the tradition of deity-associated liṅgas (like the Māhendra Liṅga) is celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Installing the Māhendra Liṅga (liṅga-sthāpana) as an act of prāyaścitta following grave karmic burden.