Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

शिवरात्रिः सदा कार्या लिंगे स्वायंभुवे नरैः । तदभावे महापुण्ये लिंगे वर्षशताधिके

Transliteration

śivarātriḥ sadā kāryā liṃge svāyaṃbhuve naraiḥ | tadabhāve mahāpuṇye liṃge varṣaśatādhike

Translation

മനുഷ്യർ എപ്പോഴും സ്വയംഭൂ ലിംഗത്തിൽ ശിവരാത്രിവ്രതം ആചരിക്കണം. അത് ലഭ്യമല്ലെങ്കിൽ, നൂറുവർഷത്തിലധികം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതമായ മഹാപുണ്യ ലിംഗത്തിൽ (വ്രതം) ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• शिव-रात्रिः: Śivarātri (night of Śiva)
• शिव-रात्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य रात्रिः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• कार्या: should be observed
• कार्या: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: ‘to be done/observed’)

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

• स्वायंभुवे: self-manifest
• स्वायंभुवे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गे इत्यस्य)

• नरैः: by men; by people
• नरैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• तदभावे: in its absence
• तदभावे: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य अभावे)

• महापुण्ये: in the greatly meritorious (liṅga)
• महापुण्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् पुण्यम्) विशेषण (लिङ्गे इत्यस्य)

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

• वर्ष-शत-अधिके: (in one) more than a hundred years (old)
• वर्ष-शत-अधिके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—वर्षशतं अधिकं यस्मात्/यत्र (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे ‘more than a hundred years old’) विशेषण (लिङ्गे इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svayambhū-liṅga tīrtha (preferred); otherwise ancient liṅga shrine

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night of Śivarātri: devotees keep vigil before a svayambhū liṅga, offering bilva leaves, lamps, incense; alternatively, an ancient temple with weathered stone and continuous lamp-flame symbolizes century-old sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivarātri
• Svayambhū-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śivarātri bears heightened merit when performed at a self-manifest liṅga, emphasizing sacred presence (sannidhi) as a purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa, highlighting the kṣetra’s Śaiva sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observe Śivarātri at a svayambhū liṅga; if unavailable, choose a highly revered, long-established (100+ years) liṅga.