Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

देवेन्द्रो लुब्धकं भूयो बभाषे कौतुकान्वितः । कस्मिन्देशे गिरौ जालिर्लिंगं यत्रास्ति दर्शय

Transliteration

devendro lubdhakaṃ bhūyo babhāṣe kautukānvitaḥ | kasmindeśe girau jālirliṃgaṃ yatrāsti darśaya

Translation

ท้าวเทวेंद्र (อินทรา) ตรัสกับนายพรานอีกครั้งด้วยความใคร่รู้ว่า “ในแคว้นใด บนภูเขาใด มีชาลีที่ซึ่งลึงค์ประดิษฐานอยู่ จงบอกและชี้ให้เราเห็นเถิด”

Word by Word

• devendraḥ: Devendra (Indra)
• devendraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: deva + indra (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘devānām indraḥ’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• lubdhakam: the hunter
• lubdhakam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lubdhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhūyaḥ: again
• bhūyaḥ: Modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• babhāṣe: spoke
• babhāṣe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kautuka-anvitaḥ: endowed with curiosity
• kautuka-anvitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kautuka + anvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: kautuka + anvita (तत्पुरुषः: ‘kautukena anvitaḥ’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kasmin: in which
• kasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• deśe: region/country
• deśe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• girau: on the mountain
• girau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: giri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• jāliḥ: Jāli (proper name)
• jāliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• liṅgam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana marker (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• darśaya: show (me)
• darśaya: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; णिच् (causative) अर्थः: ‘दर्शय’ = show

Speaker

Devendra (Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (with Jālī-liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, radiant and curious, addresses a forest hunter, asking the exact land and mountain where Jālī and the liṅga are located; the moment is one of inquiry before a pilgrimage begins.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Devendra)
• Lubdhaka (hunter)
• Jāli
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even Indra seeks the precise locus of sacred power—tīrthas are to be approached with reverent inquiry and intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jāli (between Ujjayanta and Raivataka) where the Śiva-liṅga is situated, within the Vastrāpatha kṣetra setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse emphasizes locating the liṅga-bearing sacred spot for darśana and worship.