Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

इक्ष्वाक्वीश्वरनामाभूत्तेनेदं लिंगमुत्तमम् । यस्तं पूजयते भक्त्या देवं वृषभवाहनम्

Transliteration

ikṣvākvīśvaranāmābhūttenedaṃ liṃgamuttamam | yastaṃ pūjayate bhaktyā devaṃ vṛṣabhavāhanam

Translation

ด้วยเหตุแห่งท่าน ลึงค์อันประเสริฐนี้จึงเป็นที่รู้จักนามว่า “อิกษวากวีศวระ” ผู้ใดบูชาด้วยภักติแด่พระศิวะ ผู้ทรงมีโคเป็นพาหนะ ย่อมได้รับบุญกุศลตามที่กล่าวไว้

Word by Word

• इक्ष्वाक्वीश्वरनाम: the name ‘Ikṣvākvīśvara’
• इक्ष्वाक्वीश्वरनाम: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्ष्वाकु + ईश्वर + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इक्ष्वाक्वीश्वरस्य नाम); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभूत्: became/was
• अभूत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तेन: by him/therefore
• तेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्मसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (लिङ्गम् इति समानााधिकरणे)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (पूजयते इति) / वा प्रथमा (इदम् लिङ्गम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Karma-visheshana (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गम्)

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• तम्: that (him/it)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (referring to liṅga/deva)

• पूजयते: worships
• पूजयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (करण/Instrument; means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समानााधिकरण (तम् इति)

• वृषभवाहनम्: whose vehicle is the bull
• वृषभवाहनम्: Karma-visheshana (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृषभ + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वृषभस्य वाहनम्); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (देवम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ikṣvākvīśvara (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revered Śiva-liṅga labeled Ikṣvākvīśvara, adorned with bilva leaves and garlands; Nandin nearby; a devotee performs abhiṣeka and ārati within a Prabhāsa shrine precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Ikṣvākvīśvara Liṅga
• Śiva
• Vṛṣabha (Nandin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion not only transforms the devotee, it also sanctifies and ‘names’ sacred icons, making them accessible to later pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, through the supreme Liṅga titled Ikṣvākvīśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti-yukta pūjā (devotional worship) of Śiva, specifically honored as Vṛṣabhavāhana.