Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

धर्मपुत्रेण यत्रैव कृतो यज्ञः सुदुष्करः । नाम्ना बहुसुवर्णेति स्थाप्य लिंगं महाप्रभम्

Transliteration

dharmaputreṇa yatraiva kṛto yajñaḥ suduṣkaraḥ | nāmnā bahusuvarṇeti sthāpya liṃgaṃ mahāprabham

Translation

ധർമ്മപുത്രൻ അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരമായ യജ്ഞം നിർവഹിച്ച അതേ സ്ഥലത്ത്, മഹാപ്രഭമായ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ച് അതിന് ‘ബഹുസുവർണ’ എന്നു നാമം നൽകി।

Word by Word

• धर्मपुत्रेण: by Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मपुत्रेण: कर्ता (Agent/Doer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• कृतः: performed
• कृतः: विशेषण (Predicate/Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'यज्ञः' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सुदुष्करः: very difficult
• सुदुष्करः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'यज्ञः' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: करण (Means/Designation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (by name)

• बहुसुवर्णा: Bahusuvarṇā
• बहुसुवर्णा: सम्बन्ध (Name/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु-सुवर्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; नाम-रूपेण (as a name)

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-निपात (quotative particle)

• स्थाप्य: having installed
• स्थाप्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-भाव, अव्यय-रूप; पूर्वक्रिया (having established)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• महाप्रभम्: greatly splendid
• महाप्रभम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'लिङ्गम्' इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahusuvarṇa (liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmaputra) performs a formidable yajña at Prabhāsa; blazing altar fires, priests chanting, and the moment of installing a radiant liṅga named Bahusuvarṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmaputra)
• Bahusuvarṇēśvara Liṅga
• Śiva
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great dharma is expressed through arduous yajña and the consecration of Śiva’s emblem, linking royal duty to sacred place-making.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bahusuvarṇēśvara (Bahusuvarṇa Liṅga) in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña (sacrifice) and liṅga-sthāpanā (establishing a Śiva-liṅga).