Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

लिंगं महाप्रभावं तु सैंहिकेयप्रतिष्ठितम् । तत्र वर्षसहस्रं तु वैप्रचित्तिस्तपोऽकरोत्

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ mahāprabhāvaṃ tu saiṃhikeyapratiṣṭhitam | tatra varṣasahasraṃ tu vaipracittistapo'karot

Translation

ആ ലിംഗം മഹാപ്രഭാവമുള്ളത്; സിംഹികാപുത്രൻ (രാഹു) അതിനെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു. അവിടെ വൈപ്രചിത്തി ആയിരം വർഷം തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

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

• महाप्रभावम्: of great power
• महाप्रभावम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (महान् प्रभावः यस्य)

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

• सैंहिकेय-प्रतिष्ठितम्: established by Saiṃhikeyā’s son (Rāhu)
• सैंहिकेय-प्रतिष्ठितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सैंहिकेय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त; √स्था/स्थाप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सैंहिकेयेन प्रतिष्ठितम् = established by Saiṃhikeyā/Rāhu)

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

• वर्ष-सहस्रम्: a thousand years
• वर्ष-सहस्रम्: Karma (Extent/measure as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (वर्षाणां सहस्रम् = a thousand years)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान (particle)

• वैप्रचित्तिः: Vaipracitti (a Daitya)
• वैप्रचित्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैप्रचित्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अकरोत्: did; performed
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha region)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a radiant liṅga stands newly established; Rāhu (Svarbhānu), dark and formidable, performs or sponsors the consecration, while Vaipracitti undertakes long austerities nearby amid coastal winds and sacred fires.

Characters & Entities

• Rāhu (Saiṃhikeya)
• Siṃhikā
• Vaipracitti
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even beings associated with darkness and obstruction turn toward Śiva; tapas and installation sanctify and transform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Saiṃhikeya (Rāhu)-established mahāprabhāva Śiva-liṅga in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it highlights the precedent of long tapas at the site, implying its potency for austerity and worship.