Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कपालेश्वरनामा च यत्रेशो लिंगमूर्तिमान् । संस्थितः पापनाशाय दर्शनात्स्पर्शनान्नृणाम्

Transliteration

kapāleśvaranāmā ca yatreśo liṃgamūrtimān | saṃsthitaḥ pāpanāśāya darśanātsparśanānnṛṇām

Translation

അവിടെ ‘കപാലേശ്വരൻ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ ലിംഗമൂർത്തിയായ ഈശ്വരൻ സ്ഥാപിതനാണ്; മനുഷ്യരുടെ പാപങ്ങൾ ദർശനത്തിലൂടെയും സ്പർശത്തിലൂടെയും പോലും നശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कपालेश्वरनामा: named Kapāleśvara
• कपालेश्वरनामा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपालेश्वर + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'कपालेश्वरः नाम यस्य सः'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• ईशः: the Lord
• ईशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लिङ्गमूर्तिमान्: having the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गमूर्तिमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग + मूर्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—लिङ्गरूपा मूर्तिः यस्य

• संस्थितः: is established
• संस्थितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'standing/established'

• पापनाशाय: for the destruction of sins
• पापनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; समासः—पापस्य नाशः

• दर्शनात्: from (its) seeing/by seeing
• दर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• स्पर्शनात्: from touching/by touching
• स्पर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic māhātmya narration style in Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An austere Śaiva shrine in a northern precinct; a dark stone liṅga named Kapāleśvara radiates sanctity; pilgrims approach for darśana and reverent touch, with skull-bowl motifs subtly present.

Characters & Entities

• Kapāleśvara
• Īśa
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence as a Liṅga in a sacred place removes sin; reverent darśana and sparśana are themselves purifying acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara—Śiva’s Liṅga-site within Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The text highlights the efficacy of darśana (seeing) and sparśana (touching) the Kapāleśvara Liṅga for pāpa-nāśa (sin-destruction).