Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

विचित्रेण महादेवि लेख केन यमस्य च । स्थापितं तन्महालिंगं तपः कृत्वा सुदुश्चरम्

Transliteration

vicitreṇa mahādevi lekha kena yamasya ca | sthāpitaṃ tanmahāliṃgaṃ tapaḥ kṛtvā suduścaram

Translation

ఓ మహాదేవీ, విచిత్రుడు మరియు యముని లేఖకుడు అత్యంత దుష్కరమైన తపస్సు చేసి ఆ మహాలింగాన్ని స్థాపించారు।

Word by Word

• vicitreṇa: by Vicitra
• vicitreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/सहकारक (agent/instrumental)

• mahādevi: O great goddess
• mahādevi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• lekha: Lekha
• lekha: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lekha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समुच्चित-कर्ता (co-agent)

• kena: with whom / by whom
• kena: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सहकारक (with whom/by whom)

• yamasya: of Yama
• yamasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• sthāpitam: was established
• sthāpitam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense: was established)

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mahāliṅgam)

• mahāliṅgam: the great liṅga
• mahāliṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-liṅga (प्रातिपदिक; महा + लिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय-निर्देशः (subject of passive)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object of kṛtvā)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः

• suduścaram: very difficult
• suduścaram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-duścara (प्रातिपदिक; सु + दुष्चर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tapaḥ)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vicitreśvara (mahāliṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vicitra and Yama’s scribe Lekhaka, emaciated from austerities, perform tapas near the Prabhāsa shore; a radiant mahāliṅga is installed with ritual vessels, bilva leaves, and sacred fire, while Devī is addressed as Mahādevī.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Vicitra
• Yama
• Lekhaka (scribe of Yama)
• Mahāliṅga (Śiva-liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred installations arise from tapas and disciplined effort, teaching that spiritual power is grounded in austerity and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vicitreśvara (the great liṅga) in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite for the pilgrim here; it narrates the tapas-based establishment (sthāpana) of the liṅga.