Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

इमं लिंगं परं चैव ब्रह्मणः प्रलये तदा । भाविनीं वृत्तिमास्थाय इदं स्थानं तु रक्षति

Transliteration

imaṃ liṃgaṃ paraṃ caiva brahmaṇaḥ pralaye tadā | bhāvinīṃ vṛttimāsthāya idaṃ sthānaṃ tu rakṣati

Translation

ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਲਯ ਵੇਲੇ, ਇਹ ਪਰਮ ਲਿੰਗ ਤਦ ਆਪਣੀ ਨਿਯਤ ਭੂਮਿਕਾ ਧਾਰ ਕੇ, ਇਸ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਸਥਾਨ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (liṅgaṃ इति)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (liṅgaṃ इति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahman / of Brahmā (contextual)
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (ब्रह्मन्), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• प्रलये: at dissolution
• प्रलये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• भाविनीम्: future/impending
• भाविनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (vṛttim इति)

• वृत्तिम्: state/condition
• वृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातु: √स्था (to stand) उपसर्ग: आ-; अर्थ: ‘having assumed’

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (sthānaṃ इति)

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somanātha/Someśa-liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: During cosmic dissolution, the universe fades; yet the supreme liṅga remains luminous, forming a protective sphere around Prabhāsa—like a sanctum of light amid darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Brahmā
• Pralaya
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra (place implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is not merely geographic; it is upheld by divine presence that preserves dharma even through dissolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, safeguarded by the supreme liṅga (Someśvara/Somnātha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is on the liṅga’s cosmic guardianship of the kṣetra.