Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

करमध्ये च मे लग्नं कपालं पतितं तदा । कपालमोचनश्चासौ लिंगरूपी स्थितोऽभवत्

Transliteration

karamadhye ca me lagnaṃ kapālaṃ patitaṃ tadā | kapālamocanaścāsau liṃgarūpī sthito'bhavat

Translation

ครั้งนั้นกะโหลกที่ติดอยู่กลางฝ่ามือของข้าพเจ้าก็หลุดร่วงไป และสถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์นั้นได้ตั้งมั่น ณ ที่นั้นในรูป “ลึงค์” เป็นที่รู้จักนามว่า กปาลโมจนะ (Kapālamocana)

Word by Word

• करमध्ये: in the middle of (my) hand
• करमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (करस्य मध्यः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• लग्नम्: stuck; attached
• लग्नम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लग् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेष्य-समन्वयात् (agreeing with कपालम्)

• कपालम्: skull
• कपालम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पतितम्: fell
• पतितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• कपालमोचनः: Kapālamocana (name/title)
• कपालमोचनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल + मोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कपालस्य मोचनः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• लिङ्गरूपी: in the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य रूपम् अस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• स्थितः: stood; remained
• स्थितः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapālamocana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine hand held out; the skull-mark/bowl clinging to the palm suddenly drops away at the tīrtha; a radiant liṅga manifests at the spot, with pilgrims witnessing the miracle.

Characters & Entities

• Kapālamocana
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kapāla (skull)
• Īśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True expiation culminates in release (mocana) and the establishment of sacred presence; purification becomes a permanent boon for future pilgrims through the liṅga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapālamocana—presented as a liṅga-form sacred spot within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies tīrtha-darśana and liṅga-veneration at Kapālamocana; the specific rites are not detailed in this line.