Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

उन्नामितं पुनस्तेन यत्र लिंगं महोदयम् । तदुन्नतमिति प्रोक्तं स्थानं स्थानवतां वरम्

Transliteration

unnāmitaṃ punastena yatra liṃgaṃ mahodayam | tadunnatamiti proktaṃ sthānaṃ sthānavatāṃ varam

Translation

അദ്ദേഹം വീണ്ടും ആ മഹോദയ ലിംഗത്തെ എവിടെ ഉയർത്തി സ്ഥാപിച്ചുവോ, ആ സ്ഥലം ‘ഉന്നത’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം—പുണ്യസ്ഥാനങ്ങളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠം।

Word by Word

• उन्नामितम्: raised up
• उन्नामितम्: Kriya-bhava (Result/state/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-नाम् (धातु) → उन्नामित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘raised up’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb) — देशवाचक

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महोदयम्: greatly exalted/auspicious
• महोदयम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महोदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गम्)

• तत्-उन्नतम्: that (is) ‘Unnata’
• तत्-उन्नतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + उन्नत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (तत् उन्नतम् = ‘that (place) called Unnata’)

• इति: thus, as
• इति: Discourse marker (इत्यर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निरूपण-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• प्रोक्तम्: is said/called
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘said/called’ (impersonal/passive)

• स्थानम्: place, site
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्थानवताम्: of those having holy places
• स्थानवताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थानवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘those possessing places/abodes’

• वरम्: best, excellent
• वरम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (स्थानम्) — ‘श्रेष्ठम्’

Speaker

Sūta (contextual narrator) giving etymological-sthala explanation (nāma-nirukti) of the site

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnata

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A majestic liṅga is raised up again; sages witness the act as the spot is proclaimed ‘Unnata’, the best among holy abodes.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Unnata (place-name)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra becomes supremely holy through divine action centered on the liṅga; the site-name preserves that sacred event for pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The place called “Unnata” within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, identified by the raising of the mahodayā liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse primarily establishes the sanctity and identity of the liṅga-sthāna.