Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तत्रस्थं पूजयेद्भक्त्या केतुलिंगं महाप्रभम् । केतूदये महाघोरे तस्मिन्दृष्टे विशेषतः

Transliteration

tatrasthaṃ pūjayedbhaktyā ketuliṃgaṃ mahāprabham | ketūdaye mahāghore tasmindṛṣṭe viśeṣataḥ

Translation

तेथे प्रतिष्ठित महाप्रभ केतुलिंगाची भक्तिभावाने पूजा करावी—विशेषतः केतूचा अत्यंत भयंकर उदय असताना, आणि त्या लिंगाचे दर्शन होताच तर अधिकच.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place) — “there”

• स्थम्: situated
• स्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थ (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — “standing/situated” (qualifying object)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — “should worship”

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — “with devotion”

• केतु: Ketu
• केतु: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (in compound) — “of Ketu”

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — “liṅga”

• महाप्रभम्: very mighty
• महाप्रभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक: महा + प्रभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — “very mighty”

• केतु: Ketu
• केतु: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (in compound) — “of Ketu”

• उदये: at the rising
• उदये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — “at the rising”

• महाघोरे: very dreadful
• महाघोरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाघोर (प्रातिपदिक: महा + घोर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — “in the very dreadful (time/event)”

• तस्मिन्: in that (time/place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — “in that/when that”

• दृष्टे: when (it is) seen
• दृष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — “when seen” (locative absolute sense)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — “especially, particularly”

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ketu-liṅga (Prabhāsa)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Ketu-liṅga stands in a coastal shrine; devotees offer flowers as a comet-like sign of Ketu rises ominously in the sky, yet the shrine glows with protective brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Ketu
• Ketu-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship and darśana of Śiva at a sacred site pacify even fearful cosmic influences like Ketu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, specifically the Ketu-liṅga located there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti-pūjā (devotional worship) and darśana of the Ketu-liṅga, especially during Ketu’s rising.