Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

यत्राग्निलिङ्गमध्यस्थः प्राह देवो महेश्वरः । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षार्थानाग्नेयमधिकृत्य च

Transliteration

yatrāgniliṅgamadhyasthaḥ prāha devo maheśvaraḥ | dharmārthakāmamokṣārthānāgneyamadhikṛtya ca

Translation

అక్కడ అగ్ని-లింగమధ్యంలో ఆసీనుడైన భగవాన్ మహేశ్వరుడు పలికాడు—ధర్మ, అర్థ, కామ, మోక్షాలను ప్రసాదించే ‘ఆగ్నేయం’ను విషయంగా చేసుకొని।

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb of place) = “where”

• agni-liṅga-madhya-sthaḥ: standing in the middle of the Agni-liṅga
• agni-liṅga-madhya-sthaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √sthā)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः = “situated in the middle of the Agni-liṅga”

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद = “said/spoke”

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय = “the great Lord (Maheśvara)”

• dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa-arthān: (matters) aiming at dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa
• dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa-arthān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः = “(those) whose purpose is dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa”

• āgneyam: the Āgneya (text/topic)
• āgneyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āgneya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; “the Āgneya (Purāṇa/section)”

• adhikṛtya: having taken up; concerning
• adhikṛtya: Kriya-Visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhi-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव = “having taken up/with reference to”

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

Speaker

Sūta (narrating); Śiva (Maheśvara) is the referenced speaker within the narrative

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agni-liṅga (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing yet serene Agni-liṅga stands at the sanctum center; from within the liṅga, Maheśvara’s presence is suggested by a luminous form/face emerging in flame-like aura, addressing assembled sages; symbols of dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa appear as four emblems around the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Agni-liṅga
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Āgneya
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-centered teaching is presented as complete—guiding worldly well-being and ultimate liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, specifically a sacred Agni-liṅga associated with Maheśvara’s discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse highlights the authority of teachings connected to the Agni-liṅga and the Āgneya tradition.