Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

यावन्न चार्चयेद्देवि सोमेशं लिंगनायकम् । लीलया वापि तैर्द्रष्टुं तत्पदं दुर्लभं परम्

Transliteration

yāvanna cārcayeddevi someśaṃ liṃganāyakam | līlayā vāpi tairdraṣṭuṃ tatpadaṃ durlabhaṃ param

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി, ലിംഗനായകനായ സോമേശനെ അർച്ചിക്കാത്തിടത്തോളം, ആ എല്ലാ സാധനങ്ങളാലും ആ പരമപദദർശനം അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭം—സഹജമായി ലഭ്യമല്ല।

Word by Word

• यावत्: until/as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अवधि-बोधक-अव्ययम् (correlative: “as long as/until”)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• च: and/nor
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः; here with na = “nor”

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; “should worship”

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्

• सोमेशं: Someśa (Lord of Soma)
• सोमेशं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + ईश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—“सोमस्य ईशः”

• लिङ्गनायकम्: leader/lord of the liṅga
• लिङ्गनायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + नायक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; apposition to सोमेशम्; तत्पुरुषः—“लिङ्गस्य नायकः”

• लीलया: playfully/easily
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; manner/instrument “playfully/easily”

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-निपातः (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-निपातः (also/even)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; “by them” (refers to earlier ‘anyaiḥ…’)

• द्रष्टुं: to see
• द्रष्टुं: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (infinitive) = “to see”

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; demonstrative modifying पदम्

• पदं: state/abode/goal
• पदं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; object of infinitive द्रष्टुम्

• दुर्लभं: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; adjective of पदम्

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; adjective of पदम्

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśvara/Somnātha at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee (any āśrama) stands before the Somnātha liṅga, offering bilva and water; behind, the earlier practices (yajña, tapas, pilgrimages) appear as faded silhouettes, while the liṅga radiates the ‘supreme state’ as a visible light.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Someśa (Somānātha)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The decisive key to the highest attainment is worship of Someśa (Somānātha); other disciplines become fruitful when oriented to this devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, especially the shrine of Someśa/Somānātha (Somnath).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (formal worship) of Someśa, the Liṅga-Lord—implying darśana, pūjā, and devotional service at the kṣetra.