Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

समाराध्य महादेवं प्रत्यक्षीकृतवान्भवम् । लिंगेऽवतारयामास प्रसन्नं तं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

samārādhya mahādevaṃ pratyakṣīkṛtavānbhavam | liṃge'vatārayāmāsa prasannaṃ taṃ maheśvaram

Translation

മഹാദേവനെ സമ്യകമായി ആരാധിച്ച് അദ്ദേഹം ഭവനെ പ്രത്യക്ഷമാക്കി; പ്രസന്നനായ ആ മഹേശ്വരനെ ലിംഗത്തിൽ അവതരിപ്പിച്ച് (പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ച്) സ്ഥാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• समाराध्य: having duly worshipped
• समाराध्य: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; अव्ययभावेन प्रयुक्तम्

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रत्यक्षीकृतवान्: made manifest; realized directly
• प्रत्यक्षीकृतवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रत्यक्षी-कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्तवतु (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• भवम्: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; शिवपर्याय

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• अवतारयामास: caused to descend; installed
• अवतारयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रसन्नम्: gracious; pleased
• प्रसन्नम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Great Lord)
• महेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śākalyeśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Austerity culminates: Śiva appears before Śākalya in radiant form; then the divine presence settles into a liṅga as the sage performs pratiṣṭhā; aura and sacred fire imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Bhava
• Maheśvara
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense devotion and austerity culminate in divine manifestation and the sanctification of a liṅga for the world’s benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śākalyeśvara, understood as a liṅga established through Śākalya’s worship in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Propitiation (samārādhana) of Śiva and the concept of liṅga establishment as a sacred act (origin narrative).