Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि श्वेतकेतुप्रतिष्ठितम् । लिंगं महाप्रभावं तु भीमेनाराधितं पुरा

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi śvetaketupratiṣṭhitam | liṃgaṃ mahāprabhāvaṃ tu bhīmenārādhitaṃ purā

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—പിന്നീട്, ഹേ മഹാദേവി, ശ്വേതകേതു പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ച മഹാപ്രഭാവമുള്ള ലിംഗത്തിങ്കലേക്ക് പോകണം; അതിനെ പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ഭീമൻ ആരാധിച്ചിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala/Anukrama (Temporal sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-आधारित)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• श्वेतकेतुप्रतिष्ठितम्: established by Śvetaketu
• श्वेतकेतुप्रतिष्ठितम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेतकेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त; √स्था with प्र-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम् इति)

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

• महाप्रभावम्: of great power
• महाप्रभावम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• भीमेन: by Bhīma
• भीमेन: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• आराधितम्: worshipped
• आराधितम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि प्रयोगे विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम् इति)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/once)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śvetaketu-pratiṣṭhita Liṅga

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrimage guide moment: Śiva instructs Pārvatī to proceed to the powerful liṅga established by Śvetaketu; visual flashback shows Bhīma worshipping the liṅga in ancient times.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Mahādevī
• Śvetaketu
• Bhīma
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is mapped as a dharmic journey: approaching specific liṅgas sanctified by sages and heroes strengthens faith and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śvetaketu-pratiṣṭhita liṅga, a notable shrine in the Prabhāsa sacred circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gacchet—one should go (yātrā) to the liṅga; worship is implied by its prior ārādhana by Bhīma.