Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तत्रैव संस्थितं पश्येल्लिंगत्रयमनुत्तमम् । शतमेधं सहस्रमेधं कोटिमेधमिति क्रमात्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tatraiva saṃsthitaṃ paśyelliṃgatrayamanuttamam | śatamedhaṃ sahasramedhaṃ koṭimedhamiti kramāt

Translation

พระอีศวรตรัสว่า: ณ ที่นั้นเองพึงได้เห็นตรีลึงค์อันยอดยิ่งซึ่งประดิษฐานอยู่—ตามลำดับคือ ศตเมธะ สหัสรเมธะ และโกฏิเมธะ

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधारणार्थक

• संस्थितम्: situated/established
• संस्थितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'स्थित' = placed/standing

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• लिङ्गत्रयम्: the three liṅgas
• लिङ्गत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-त्रय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि लिङ्गानि)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शतमेधम्: Śatamedha (hundred-sacrifice liṅga)
• शतमेधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत-मेध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (शतं मेधाः)

• सहस्रमेधम्: Sahasramedha (thousand-sacrifice liṅga)
• सहस्रमेधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र-मेध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (सहस्रं मेधाः)

• कोटिमेधम्: Koṭimedha (crore-sacrifice liṅga)
• कोटिमेधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि-मेध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (कोटिः मेधाः)

• इति: thus (as)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उद्धरणसूचक

• क्रमात्: in sequence
• क्रमात्: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (in order/stepwise)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅga-traya of Prabhāsa: Śatamedha–Sahasramedha–Koṭimedha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands within Prabhāsa-kṣetra beholding three ancient liṅgas aligned as a sacred triad, each marked by its yajña-name; the space feels like a yajña-śālā turned into stone sanctuaries.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Śatamedha-liṅga
• Sahasramedha-liṅga
• Koṭimedha-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (sacred beholding) of Śiva’s liṅgas in a holy kṣetra is upheld as a direct, grace-filled path of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically the locale where the three famed liṅgas—Śatamedha, Sahasramedha, and Koṭimedha—are established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-darśana: one is instructed to go and behold the three liṅgas in the stated order.