Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

स्वयं भूलिंगरूपेण संस्थितस्तेजसां निधिः । गोवत्सान्नैरृते भागे दृश्यते लोहयष्टिका

Transliteration

svayaṃ bhūliṃgarūpeṇa saṃsthitastejasāṃ nidhiḥ | govatsānnairṛte bhāge dṛśyate lohayaṣṭikā

Translation

ณที่นั้น ขุมทรัพย์แห่งรัศมีทิพย์ตั้งอยู่เองในรูป “ภูหลิงคะ” และทางทิศตะวันตกเฉียงใต้ของโควัตสะ ปรากฏ “ยัษฏิกา” คือไม้เท้าเหล็กเป็นเครื่องหมาย

Word by Word

• स्वयम्: by himself; personally
• स्वयम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic adverb)

• भूलिंगरूपेण: in the form of a self-manifest liṅga
• भूलिंगरूपेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-लिङ्ग + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भू-लिङ्गस्य रूपम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental: ‘in the form of’)

• संस्थितः: established; stationed
• संस्थितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘nidhiḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/established’

• तेजसाम्: of splendors/energies
• तेजसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive)

• निधिः: treasure; repository
• निधिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गोवत्सात्: from Govatsa (tīrtha)
• गोवत्सात्: Apādāna (Reference point: ‘from/than’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative)

• नैरृते: in the south-western
• नैरृते: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; दिशावाचक-विशेषणम् (south-western) qualifying ‘bhāge’

• भागे: in the region/part
• भागे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative)

• दृश्यते: is seen; appears
• दृश्यते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘is seen/appears’

• लोहयष्टिका: an iron staff/rod
• लोहयष्टिका: Karta (Subject of passive appearance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह + यष्टिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लोहमयी यष्टिका/लोहस्य यष्टिका); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Govatsa (Prabhāsa micro-tīrtha) with Bhūliṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sunlit coastal tīrtha landscape of Prabhāsa: a small svayaṃbhū Bhūliṅga radiating tejas, with an iron staff planted as a marker in the south-west quarter of a named spot ‘Govatsa’; pilgrims approach with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūliṅga (self-manifest liṅga form)
• Govatsa Tīrtha
• Lohayaṣṭikā (iron staff marker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred is sometimes self-revealing (svayaṃbhū); physical markers also guide pilgrims to recognize and honor holy presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Govatsa region in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, featuring a self-established Bhūliṅga and a visible lohayaṣṭikā marker.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the verse provides identifying features—self-manifest liṅga presence and a directional landmark.