Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कल्पलिंगं महादेवि पूजितं देवदानवैः । छायापुत्रेण संतप्तं तपः परमदुष्करम्

Transliteration

kalpaliṃgaṃ mahādevi pūjitaṃ devadānavaiḥ | chāyāputreṇa saṃtaptaṃ tapaḥ paramaduṣkaram

Translation

ഹേ മഹാദേവി, അത് കല്പലിംഗമാണ്; ദേവന്മാരും ദാനവന്മാരും പൂജിച്ചതാണ്. ഛായാപുത്രൻ അവിടെ ക്ലേശത്തിൽ ദഹിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരമായ തപസ്സ് ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• कल्पलिङ्गम्: the Kalpa-liṅga
• कल्पलिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कल्पस्य लिङ्गम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—महा + देवी (कर्मधारयः)

• पूजितम्: worshipped
• पूजितम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कल्पलिङ्गम् इति कर्मणि)

• देवदानवैः: by gods and demons
• देवदानवैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—देवाः च दानवाः (द्वन्द्वः)

• छायापुत्रेण: by Chāyā’s son (Śani)
• छायापुत्रेण: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—छायायाः पुत्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• संतप्तम्: heated/tormented
• संतप्तम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + तप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (तपः इति कर्मणि)

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• परमदुष्करम्: extremely difficult
• परमदुष्करम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—परमं दुष्करम् (कर्मधारयः); विशेषणम् (तपः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalpa-liṅga / Śanaiścaraiśvara complex

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful ascetic tableau: the Kalpa-liṅga in a shrine or open sanctum, devas and dānavas offering worship together; Śani (Chāyā-putra) performing fierce tapas—dark-hued, austere, emaciated, surrounded by heat-haze—yet oriented toward the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Kalpa-liṅga
• Devas
• Dānavas
• Chāyā
• Śanaiścara (implied as Chāyā’s son)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful cosmic beings attain their station through severe tapas and devotion at Śiva’s liṅga in a sacred kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kalpa-liṅga / Śanaiścaraiśvara shrine within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as the practice undertaken by Chāyā’s son (Śanaiścara).