Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

तत्र वस्त्रापथं क्षेत्रं भवस्तत्र व्यवस्थितः । तत्रास्ते मृन्मयं लिंगं जालिमध्ये सुरोत्तम

Transliteration

tatra vastrāpathaṃ kṣetraṃ bhavastatra vyavasthitaḥ | tatrāste mṛnmayaṃ liṃgaṃ jālimadhye surottama

Translation

“അവിടെയാണു ‘വസ്ത്രാപഥ’ എന്ന പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രം; അവിടെയാണു ഭവൻ (ശിവൻ) വസിക്കുന്നത്. അവിടെയേ, ഹേ സുരോത്തമാ, ജാളിയുടെ നടുവിൽ മണ്ണാൽ നിർമ്മിത ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്।”

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place)

• वस्त्रापथम्: Vastrāpatha (name)
• वस्त्रापथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्रापथ (प्रातिपदिक; वस्त्र + आपथ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• व्यवस्थितः: is established/abides
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यवस्था (प्रातिपदिक) + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकालिक कृदन्त (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ = established

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• आस्ते: sits/exists
• आस्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मृन्मयम्: made of clay
• मृन्मयम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (made of clay)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जालिमध्ये: in the midst of Jāli
• जालिमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जालि (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्ये (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; ‘जाल्याः मध्ये’

• सुरोत्तम: O best of gods
• सुरोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे (vocative sense in context)

Speaker

Lubdhaka (addressing Indra and the gods)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Jālī-stha mṛnmaya-liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devendra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Revelation of the destination: a sacred field named Vastrāpatha where Śiva abides; within a grove/space called Jālī stands a humble earthen liṅga, radiating quiet power.

Characters & Entities

• Vastrāpatha Kṣetra
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Jāli

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence sanctifies place; even a simple earthen liṅga becomes a powerful focus of devotion and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha Kṣetra, with the earthen liṅga situated in Jāli.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, liṅga-darśana and worship at the site; explicit ritual steps appear in subsequent verses.