Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

महालिंगं महादेवि गणगंधर्वपूजितम् । संस्नाप्य तं विधानेन ईशमंत्रेण पूजयेत्

Transliteration

mahāliṃgaṃ mahādevi gaṇagaṃdharvapūjitam | saṃsnāpya taṃ vidhānena īśamaṃtreṇa pūjayet

Translation

ഹേ മഹാദേവി, അവിടെ ഗണന്മാരും ഗന്ധർവന്മാരും പൂജിക്കുന്ന മഹാലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്. അതിനെ വിധിപ്രകാരം അഭിഷേകം ചെയ്ത് ഈശമന്ത്രത്തോടെ പൂജിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महती देवी)

• गणगन्धर्वपूजितम्: worshipped by the gaṇas and gandharvas
• गणगन्धर्वपूजितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजित (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); समासः—तत्पुरुष (गणैः गन्धर्वैश्च पूजितम्)

• संस्नाप्य: having bathed (it), after ablution
• संस्नाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); अर्थः—‘स्नापयित्वा/अभिषिच्य’

• तम्: that (liṅga)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• ईशमन्त्रेण: with the Īśa-mantra
• ईशमन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ईशस्य मन्त्रः)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlarudra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A towering mahāliṅga at Nīlarudra is bathed (abhiṣeka) while celestial Gaṇas and Gandharvas offer worship; the devotee then performs mantra-pūjā.

Characters & Entities

• Nīlarudra
• Liṅga
• Gaṇas
• Gandharvas
• Īśa-mantra
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes dharma when performed with rite (vidhi), purity (snāna/abhiṣeka), and mantra-centered worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nīlarudra liṅga shrine within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform abhiṣeka (ritual bathing) and worship using the Īśa-mantra, following proper procedure.