Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

मया संपूजितं देवि वृद्धिलिंग महाप्रभम् । निराहारस्तु यस्तत्र करोत्येकं प्रजागरम्

Transliteration

mayā saṃpūjitaṃ devi vṛddhiliṃga mahāprabham | nirāhārastu yastatra karotyekaṃ prajāgaram

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി! ആ മഹാപ്രഭു ‘വൃദ്ധിലിംഗം’ ഞാൻ സമ്പൂജിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. ആരെങ്കിലും അവിടെ നിരാഹാരനായി ഒരു രാത്രിജാഗരണം നടത്തുകയാണെങ്കിൽ…

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular of 1st person pronoun

• संपूजितम्: worshipped, duly honored
• संपूजितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+पूज् (धातु) → संपूजित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• वृद्धिलिङ्गम्: the Vṛddhi-liṅga (name of the liṅga)
• वृद्धिलिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वृद्धेः लिङ्गम्)

• महाप्रभम्: very mighty, greatly radiant
• महाप्रभम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् प्रभुः/प्रभः)

• निराहारः: fasting, without food
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (निः+आहारः = without food)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/particle (contrast/emphasis)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object-quantifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; numeral adjective

• प्रजागरम्: a vigil (staying awake)
• प्रजागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र+जागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; action-noun (night vigil)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛddhi-liṅga (mahāprabha) in Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at Vṛddhi-liṅga: devotees keep vigil with rows of lamps, fasting ascetics seated in meditation, priests performing periodic abhiṣeka; the atmosphere is intense and wakeful.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī
• Vṛddhi-liṅga
• Prajāgara (night vigil)
• Upavāsa (fasting)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity joined to devotion—fasting and vigil in a tīrtha—intensifies worship and is portrayed as spiritually potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vṛddhi-liṅga within Prabhāsakṣetra, praised as highly radiant and worship-worthy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing nirāhāra (fasting) and performing prajāgara (a night-long vigil) at that liṅga.