Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

चतुष्कोणांतरा क्षेत्रमेवं मात्राप्रमाणतः । एकरात्रोषितो भूत्वा तस्य लिंगस्य सन्निधौ

Transliteration

catuṣkoṇāṃtarā kṣetramevaṃ mātrāpramāṇataḥ | ekarātroṣito bhūtvā tasya liṃgasya sannidhau

Translation

അളവുപ്രമാണപ്രകാരം ഈ ക്ഷേത്രപരിധി ചതുഷ്കോണം (ചതുരം) ആകുന്നു. ആ ലിംഗത്തിന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ ഒരു രാത്രി താമസിച്ചാൽ ഭക്തൻ ഫലഭാഗിയാകും.

Word by Word

• catuṣkoṇa: four-cornered
• catuṣkoṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuṣkoṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (catuṣ + koṇa) — neuter nominative singular; used adjectivally

• antarā: within, inside
• antarā: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: antarā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थे — ‘within/inside’ (locative sense)

• kṣetram: the sacred field/region
• kṣetram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — neuter nominative singular

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — ‘thus/in this manner’

• mātrā: by measure
• mātrā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental singular

• pramāṇataḥ: according to the standard/measure
• pramāṇataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pramāṇa + tas (प्रातिपदिक + तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त — ‘according to/with reference to’

• eka: one
• eka: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद — ‘one’

• rātra: night
• rātra: Upapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद — ‘night’

• uṣitaḥ: having stayed (for a night)
• uṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vas (धातु) + uṣita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ekarātra-uṣitaḥ’ इति षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावे तत्पुरुषसमासः — past participle, masc nom sg

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √bhū (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — ‘having become’

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive singular

• liṅgasya: of the liṅga
• liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive singular

• sannidhau: in the presence (nearby)
• sannidhau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ikṣvākvīśvara-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night at the liṅga: the quadrangular courtyard lit by oil lamps; pilgrims resting or sitting in meditation; the liṅga visible in sanctum glow; quiet guardians at the corners.

Characters & Entities

• Ikṣvākvīśvara/Vṛṣabheśa Liṅga
• Kṣetra (quadrangular precinct)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Physical proximity and time spent in a consecrated space are treated as spiritually transformative acts of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The measured quadrangular kṣetra surrounding the Ikṣvākvīśvara/Vṛṣabheśa Liṅga at Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ekarātra-uṣa (staying one night) in the Liṅga’s presence within the defined kṣetra.