Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

पुष्पैः पंचभिरप्यत्र पूजयित्वा महेश्वरम् । दशानामश्वमेधानां फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः

Transliteration

puṣpaiḥ paṃcabhirapyatra pūjayitvā maheśvaram | daśānāmaśvamedhānāṃ phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ

Translation

ഇവിടെ വെറും അഞ്ചു പുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ പോലും മഹേശ്വരനെ പൂജിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ പത്ത് അശ്വമേധ യാഗങ്ങളുടെ തുല്യഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पञ्चभिः: with five
• पञ्चभिः: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: 'even/also')

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

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having worshipped'

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• दशानाम्: of ten
• दशानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• अश्वमेधानाम्: of Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व-मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अश्वस्य मेधः)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मानवः: a man; human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛṣabhadhvajeśvara at Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers exactly five blossoms at a Śiva-liṅga in Prabhāsa; above, symbolic imagery of ten Aśvamedha yajñas dissolves into a single radiant merit-halo around the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Aśvamedha
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere, simple devotion at a powerful tīrtha can yield immense merit beyond elaborate rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (pūjā) of Maheśvara by offering five flowers.