Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

मासेमासे च योऽश्नीयाद्यावज्जीवं सुरेश्वरि । यश्चार्च्चयेत्सकृल्लिंगं सममेतन्न संशयः

Transliteration

māsemāse ca yo'śnīyādyāvajjīvaṃ sureśvari | yaścārccayetsakṛlliṃgaṃ samametanna saṃśayaḥ

Translation

హే సురేశ్వరి! ఎవడు జీవితాంతం ప్రతి నెల విధిగా వ్రతం/అన్నదానాది ఆచరిస్తాడో, మరియు ఎవడు ఒక్కసారి మాత్రమే లింగాన్ని ఆరాధిస్తాడో—ఇద్దరికీ సమాన పుణ్యమే; ఇందులో సందేహం లేదు.

Word by Word

• मासे: in a month
• मासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• मासे: month after month
• मासे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (repetition)

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, Nominative singular

• अश्नीयात्: should eat
• अश्नीयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should eat

• यावत्-जीवम्: for the whole lifetime
• यावत्-जीवम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययार्थे (duration): 'as long as life lasts'

• सुरेश्वरि: O Lady of the gods
• सुरेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, Nominative singular

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

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; should worship

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: once)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• समम्: equal
• समम्: Vidhi (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

Speaker

Śiva (as Somnātha), addressing Sureśvarī (likely Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sureśvarī (Indrāṇī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A life timeline motif: a devotee performing monthly rites across years fades into the background, while in the foreground a single, focused worship of the Śiva-liṅga shines equally bright—Śiva’s grace balancing the scales.

Characters & Entities

• Sureśvarī
• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Monthly observance (māse māse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single act of intense, properly directed devotion at a supreme shrine can equal prolonged routine observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somnātha in Prabhāsakṣetra, where even one-time liṅga worship is declared highly potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular monthly observance involving regulated eating/feeding, and alternatively a single act of liṅga worship (arcana).