Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कुक्कुटांडकमानानि महास्थूलानि कानिचित् । सर्पेण वेष्टितान्येव चिह्नितानि त्रिशूलिभिः

Transliteration

kukkuṭāṃḍakamānāni mahāsthūlāni kānicit | sarpeṇa veṣṭitānyeva cihnitāni triśūlibhiḥ

Translation

त्यांपैकी काही अतिशय स्थूल आहेत—कुक्कुट-अंड्याएवढ्या मापाचे. ती सर्पाने वेढलेली असून त्रिशूलचिन्हांनी अंकित आहेत.

Word by Word

• कुक्कुटाण्डकमानानि: of the size of a cock’s egg
• कुक्कुटाण्डकमानानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुक्कुट (प्रातिपदिक) + अण्डक (प्रातिपदिक) + मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपमान-निर्देश (measure like that of a cock’s egg)

• महास्थूलानि: very large; very thick
• महास्थूलानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural); कर्मधारय-समास (very thick/huge)

• कानि: some; certain
• कानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Plural); अनिश्चित-विशेषण

• चित्: ever; at all (forming ‘some’)
• चित्: Visheshana (Indefinitizing particle/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अनिश्चितार्थक-निपात (indefinite particle)

• सर्पेण: by/with a serpent
• सर्पेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• वेष्टितानि: wrapped; coiled around
• वेष्टितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेष्ट् (धातु) → वेष्टित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Past passive participle, Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• चिह्नितानि: marked; signified
• चिह्नितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिह्न् (धातु) → चिह्नित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Past passive participle, Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• त्रिशूलिभिः: by trident-bearers; by those with tridents
• त्रिशूलिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhallukā Tīrtha (liṅga-lakṣaṇa area)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of several liṅgas: some huge and oval like hen’s eggs; each wrapped by a coiled serpent; triśūla marks etched or standing nearby; the setting feels ancient and guarded.

Characters & Entities

• Sarpa (serpent motif)
• Triśūla (trident motif)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse sacralizes the landscape through recognizable Śaiva emblems, turning physical markers into signs of divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The pañca-liṅga locale within Prabhāsa Kṣetra, described with distinctive serpent-encircled, trident-marked forms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it provides identifying features for pilgrims and ritual specialists.