Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ख्यातं कलौ महादेवि युगलिंगं महाप्रभम् । तद्दृष्ट्वा मुच्यते पापैर्दुःखदौर्भाग्यसंभवैः

Transliteration

khyātaṃ kalau mahādevi yugaliṃgaṃ mahāprabham | taddṛṣṭvā mucyate pāpairduḥkhadaurbhāgyasaṃbhavaiḥ

Translation

ਹੇ ਮਹਾਦੇਵੀ, ਕਲਿਯੁਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਹ ਮਹਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਵ ਵਾਲਾ ‘ਯੁਗਲਿੰਗ’ ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਦੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਮਾਤਰ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਦੁੱਖ ਤੇ ਦੁਰਭਾਗ ਤੋਂ ਉਪਜੇ ਪਾਪਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਮੁਕਤੀ ਮਿਲਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• ख्यातम्: well-known
• ख्यातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात (√ख्यै धातु; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), ‘प्रसिद्धम्/प्रख्यातम्’

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; ‘महा + देवी’ कर्मधारय

• युगलिङ्गम्: the paired liṅga
• युगलिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगलिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; युग + लिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (युगस्य लिङ्गम्)

• महाप्रभम्: very splendid
• महाप्रभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक; महा + प्रभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; (सन्धि: तत् + दृष्ट्वा = तद्दृष्ट्वा)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया ‘दृष्ट्वा’

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• पापैः: from sins
• पापैः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; अपादान/हेतु-भाव (from/by)

• दुःखदौर्भाग्यसंभवैः: arising from suffering and misfortune
• दुःखदौर्भाग्यसंभवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + दौर्भाग्य + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (दुःखं च दौर्भाग्यं च) + ‘सम्भव’ (उत्पन्न)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yuga-liṅga (Kali-yuga appellation of the same liṅga)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant liṅga labeled ‘Yuga-liṅga’ shining in a sanctum; pilgrims approach from all walks of life, their burdens symbolically falling away; the atmosphere is luminous and protective.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Yuga-liṅga
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, even simple acts like darśana (holy sight) of a powerful liṅga can dissolve sin and its karmic fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, focusing on the ‘Yuga-liṅga’ identified with this liṅga tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding the liṅga) is presented as efficacious; no further rite is required in this verse.