Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

लिंगं संस्थापयामास देवदेवस्य शूलिनः । तस्य पूजारतो नित्यं धूपगंधानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpayāmāsa devadevasya śūlinaḥ | tasya pūjārato nityaṃ dhūpagaṃdhānulepanaiḥ

Translation

അവൻ ദേവദേവനായ ശൂലധാരിയായ പരമേശ്വരന്റെ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; ധൂപം, സുഗന്ധദ്രവ്യങ്ങൾ, ചന്ദനാദി അനുലേപനങ്ങളാൽ നിത്യം പൂജയിൽ ലീനനായി।

Word by Word

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• saṃsthāpayāmāsa: he established
• saṃsthāpayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√sthā + √āp (धातु; causative/णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; causative sense ‘caused to be established’

• devadevasya: of the God of gods
• devadevasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + deva (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग — Genitive, Singular, Masculine; समास: देवस्य देवः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• śūlinaḥ: of the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• śūlinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūlin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग — Genitive, Singular, Masculine

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक (सन्दर्भानुसार) — Genitive, Singular (pronoun)

• pūjārataḥ: engaged in worship
• pūjārataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjā + rata (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग — Nominative, Singular, Masculine; समास: पूजायां रतः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — Indeclinable adverb

• dhūpa-gandha-anulepanaiḥ: with incense, fragrance, and unguents
• dhūpa-gandha-anulepanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūpa + gandha + anulepana (प्रातिपदिक; समाहार-द्वन्द्व)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — Instrumental, Plural, Neuter; समास: धूपश्च गन्धश्च अनुलेपनं च (समाहार-द्वन्द्व)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame listener (addressed earlier as varānane)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Prabhāsa, the pilgrim establishes a Śiva-liṅga and performs daily worship, offering incense, perfumes, and unguents; the atmosphere is temple-like and fragrant, contrasting earlier foulness.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śūlin, Devadeva)
• Indra
• Liṅga (Pāpamocana context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble service—installation and daily worship—restores spiritual order and becomes the means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Indra-established Śiva-liṅga at Prabhāsa, known in this adhyāya as Pāpamocana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and regular Śiva-pūjā using dhūpa (incense), gandha (perfumes), and anulepana (anointing).