Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

शापेनानेन भवतां महा दोषः प्रजायते । आराध्यं नान्यथा लिंगमुन्नतिं यात्यधोगतम्

Transliteration

śāpenānena bhavatāṃ mahā doṣaḥ prajāyate | ārādhyaṃ nānyathā liṃgamunnatiṃ yātyadhogatam

Translation

ด้วยคำสาปนี้ โทษใหญ่อันยิ่งยวดบังเกิดแก่ท่านทั้งหลาย ลึงคะพึงบูชาเท่านั้น มิควรกระทำเป็นอย่างอื่น; ผู้ใดล่วงละเมิด ย่อมตกจากความสูงสู่ความเสื่อมต่ำ

Word by Word

• शापेन: by the curse
• शापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘by this’

• भवताम्: of you (all)
• भवताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; honorific ‘of you (all)’

• महा: great
• महा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; irregular stem महत् → महा (agreeing with दोषः)

• दोषः: fault/evil consequence
• दोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रजायते: arises/is produced
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• आराध्यम्: to be worshipped
• आराध्यम्: Vidhyartha (Obligation/विध्यर्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु) → आराध्य (कृदन्त, यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘to be worshipped/propitiated’

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

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; adverb (‘otherwise’)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• उन्नतिम्: rise/elevation
• उन्नतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उन्नति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अधोगतम्: a downward fall/going down
• अधोगतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (‘gone downward’), qualifying implied state/result

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śrotṛ-gaṇa; within episode: brāhmaṇas/ascetics addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn admonition: a deity/authority figure pronounces a curse-warning; the liṅga stands central, radiant yet austere, while listeners recoil in fear of spiritual downfall.

Characters & Entities

• liṅga
• śāpa
• doṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent worship of the liṅga upholds dharma; disrespect leads to spiritual and worldly decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Śaiva worship is framed as especially potent and ethically binding.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-ārādhana (proper worship of the liṅga) is affirmed as mandatory; improper treatment is condemned.