Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्य उत्तरभागस्थं सहस्रक्रतुसंज्ञकम् । शक्रश्च देवराजोऽपि सहस्रं यष्टवान्क्रतून्

Transliteration

tasya uttarabhāgasthaṃ sahasrakratusaṃjñakam | śakraśca devarājo'pi sahasraṃ yaṣṭavānkratūn

Translation

അതിന്റെ ഉത്തരഭാഗത്ത് ‘സഹസ്രക്രതു’ എന്ന നാമത്തിലുള്ള ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്. അവിടെ ദേവരാജൻ ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) ആയിരം യാഗങ്ങൾ നടത്തി.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of it/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (pronoun)

• उत्तरभागस्थम्: situated in the northern part
• उत्तरभागस्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर + भाग + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (उत्तरभागे स्थितम्)

• सहस्रक्रतुसंज्ञकम्: named ‘Sahasrakratu’
• सहस्रक्रतुसंज्ञकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + क्रतु + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सहस्रक्रतुः इति संज्ञा यस्य)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination)

• देवराजः: king of the gods
• देवराजः: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + राज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां राजा)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; also/even)

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (संख्यावाचक)

• यष्टवान्: having sacrificed / performed (sacrifices)
• यष्टवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त; past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• क्रतून्: sacrifices
• क्रतून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrator, traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasrakratu (Sahasramedha) liṅga

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the northern shrine stands Sahasrakratu-liṅga; a remembered tableau shows Indra (Śakra) completing a thousand sacrifices, then bowing to Śiva, acknowledging higher refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasrakratu (Liṅga/Tīrtha)
• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is validated by divine precedent: even Indra’s highest ritual achievements are tied to this Śiva-site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sahasrakratu, the northern liṅga/tīrtha within the Prabhāsa sacred complex.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse recalls the performance of a thousand kratūs (sacrifices) by Indra, implying exceptional merit for worship here.