Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ऋषीणां च गुहास्तत्र सर्वा लिंगसमन्विताः । दृश्यन्ते पुण्यतपसां तदाश्रमनिवासिनाम्

Transliteration

ṛṣīṇāṃ ca guhāstatra sarvā liṃgasamanvitāḥ | dṛśyante puṇyatapasāṃ tadāśramanivāsinām

Translation

അവിടെ ഋഷിമാരുടെ ഗുഹകൾ—എല്ലാം ശിവലിംഗങ്ങളാൽ സമന്വിതമായവ—ദൃശ്യമാകുന്നു; അവ ആ ആശ്രമങ്ങളിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യതപസ്വികളുടേതാണ്।

Word by Word

• ऋषीणाम्: of the sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गुहाः: caves
• गुहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गुहाः)

• लिङ्ग-समन्विताः: endowed with liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्ग-समन्विताः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त; सम्+अन्वि/इ धातु, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past participle)

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• पुण्य-तपसाम्: of the holy ascetics / of those with meritorious austerity
• पुण्य-तपसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (तपस्); षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; समासान्त-पद (of those whose austerity is holy)

• तद्-आश्रम-निवासिनाम्: of the residents of that hermitage
• तद्-आश्रम-निवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; समास (तदाश्रमे निवासिनः)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṣi-guhā-liṅga network near Mārkaṇḍeya-āśrama (Prabhāsa)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rocky caves along a sacred landscape; inside each cave a small Śiva-liṅga with offerings; ascetics sit in meditation, lamp-light flickers on stone walls, creating a mystical devotional ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas naturally culminates in devotion to Śiva, expressed through liṅga worship even in secluded caves.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The cave-hermitage zone near Mārkaṇḍeya in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit liṅga worship (upāsanā/arcana) by āśrama-dwellers; no step-by-step rite is detailed.