Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

धनुषां सप्तके तत्र स्थितं देवि महाप्रभम् । निर्दग्धस्तु यदा काम स्तृतीयेनाग्निना मम

Transliteration

dhanuṣāṃ saptake tatra sthitaṃ devi mahāprabham | nirdagdhastu yadā kāma stṛtīyenāgninā mama

Translation

హే దేవీ! అక్కడ ఏడు ధనుస్సుల దూరంలో ఆ మహాప్రభ లింగం స్థితమై ఉంది. నా తృతీయ నేత్రాగ్నిచే కాముడు దగ్ధుడైనప్పుడు,

Word by Word

• धनुषाम्: of bows
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सप्तके: in the group of seven
• सप्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमीविभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• स्थितम्: situated/placed
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधनविभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• महाप्रभम्: the greatly radiant (one)
• महाप्रभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महा + प्रभ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (Acc/Nom), एकवचन

• निर्दग्धः: burnt up
• निर्दग्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + दह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक दह्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (temporal adverb: when)

• कामः: Kāma (the god of love)
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तृतीयेन: by the third
• तृतीयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (अग्निना इत्यस्य)

• अग्निना: by fire
• अग्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmeśvara (site of Kāma-dahana memory)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant liṅga stands near a path marker ‘seven bow-lengths’; in a mythic overlay, Śiva’s third eye emits a flame that reduces Kāma to ashes, while the shrine remains as a calm focal point of remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Kāma
• third eye fire
• Kāmeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power disciplines desire: Kāma’s burning signifies the subordination of passion to higher spiritual order, while still allowing redemption through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāmeśvara Liṅga in Prabhāsakṣetra, described with a traditional distance marker (seven bow-lengths).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; it provides mythic context and a locational description supporting pilgrimage orientation.