Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

संस्थितं तु महल्लिंगं देवाचार्य प्रतिष्ठितम् । आराध्य परया भक्त्या लिंगं वर्षसहस्रकम्

Transliteration

saṃsthitaṃ tu mahalliṃgaṃ devācārya pratiṣṭhitam | ārādhya parayā bhaktyā liṃgaṃ varṣasahasrakam

Translation

அங்கே ஒரு மகாலிங்கம் நிலைத்துள்ளது; அதை தேவாசார்யர் பிரதிஷ்டை செய்தார். பரம பக்தியுடன் அந்த லிங்கத்தை ஆராதித்து அவர் ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகள் வழிபட்டார்.

Word by Word

• saṃsthitam: situated
• saṃsthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-sthā (धातु) क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘situated/standing’); liṅgam इति विशेषणम्

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): विरोध/अन्वयार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—liṅgam इति विशेषणम्

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (context: object of ārādhya; also topic)

• deva-ācārya: by the divine teacher
• deva-ācārya: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + ācārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देशे (‘by the divine teacher’)

• pratiṣṭhitam: installed
• pratiṣṭhitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-sthā (धातु) क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘installed/established’); liṅgam इति विशेषणम्

• ārādhya: having worshipped
• ārādhya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-rādh (धातु) ल्यप्/क्त्वा-सम (कृदन्त, अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having worshipped’

• parayā: with supreme
• parayā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—bhaktyā इति विशेषणम् (‘supreme’)

• bhaktyā: devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करणम् (means)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (ārādhya इत्यस्य)

• varṣa-sahasrakam: for a thousand years
• varṣa-sahasrakam: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa + sahasraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालपरिमाणवाचकं कर्मप्रवृत्तिनिर्देशे (‘for a thousand years’)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration to Umā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bṛhaspati/Devācārya-pratiṣṭhita Mahā-liṅga at Prabhāsa

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A monumental black stone liṅga stands in a sanctum-like setting at Prabhāsa; Devācārya (identified with the divine preceptor Bṛhaspati in the narrative stream) performs prolonged worship—offerings, lamps, and water-libations—signifying a thousand-year devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Umā
• Devācārya
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Enduring devotion to Śiva expressed through liṅga worship is presented as a powerful means to attain extraordinary spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A great liṅga shrine in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, installed by Devācārya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-ārādhana (worship) with parā bhakti, described as performed for ‘a thousand years’ (hyperbolic tapas/idealized duration).