Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

धनुषां पंचके देवि संस्थितं सर्वकामदम् । शल्येनाराधितं यद्वै मद्रराजेन भामिनि

Transliteration

dhanuṣāṃ paṃcake devi saṃsthitaṃ sarvakāmadam | śalyenārādhitaṃ yadvai madrarājena bhāmini

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി, അത് അഞ്ചു ധനുസ്സിന്റെ അകലത്തിൽ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു; സർവ്വകാമങ്ങളും നൽകുന്നതാണ്. ഹേ ഭാമിനി, മദ്രരാജൻ ശല്യൻ തീർച്ചയായും അതിനെ ആരാധിച്ചിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• धनुषाम्: of bows
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पंचके: in the group of five
• पंचके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पंचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• संस्थितम्: situated/established
• संस्थितम्: Karma (Object as predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वकामदम्: granting all desires
• सर्वकामदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + कामद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां कामानां दः)

• शल्येन: by Śalya
• शल्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• आराधितम्: worshipped
• आराधितम्: Karma (Object as predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Correlative/relative subject-object link)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• मद्रराजेन: by the king of Madra
• मद्रराजेन: Karana (Agent in passive/instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्र + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मद्राणां राजा)

• भामिनि: O radiant lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gautameśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim path measured in ‘five bow-lengths’ leads to Gautameśvara. In a flashback vignette, King Śalya—royal attire, yet humble—offers water, bilva, and lamps to the liṅga, while attendants stand back respectfully.

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• Madra
• Gautameśvara-liṅga (implied)
• Devī (listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion at a consecrated liṅga is portrayed as fulfilling rightful desires, exemplified by famed royal worshippers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gautameśvara-liṅga in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, associated with Śalya of Madra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (propitiatory worship) is referenced, though without detailed procedure in this verse.