Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

विचित्रेण महादेवि लेखकेन यमस्य च । तपः कृत्वा महारौद्रं लिंगं तत्र प्रतिष्ठितम्

Transliteration

vicitreṇa mahādevi lekhakena yamasya ca | tapaḥ kṛtvā mahāraudraṃ liṃgaṃ tatra pratiṣṭhitam

Translation

O Mahādevī, si Vicitra—ang tagasulat ni Yama—matapos magsagawa ng matinding pag-aayuno at pagsasadhana, ay nagtatag doon ng isang kakila-kilabot na liṅga na Mahāraudra.

Word by Word

• विचित्रेण: by Vicittra
• विचित्रेण: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लेखकेन: by the scribe
• लेखकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेखक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यमस्य: of Yama
• यमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), धातु: कृ

• महारौद्रम्: very fierce
• महारौद्रम्: Karman (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: was established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति + स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vicitreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vicitra, depicted as a divine scribe with manuscript and stylus, performs severe austerities near the river; a fierce, radiant liṅga (mahāraudra) is installed with flames/tejas aura and attendant gaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Vicitra
• Yama
• Lekhaka (scribe)
• Mahāraudra Liṅga
• Vicitreśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and righteous effort can consecrate sacred space; even cosmic officials like Yama’s scribe participate in Śiva’s sanctifying order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vicitreśvara (the mahāraudra liṅga) at Prabhāsa Kṣetra near Hiraṇyā-tīra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse explains the shrine’s establishment through tapas and pratiṣṭhā.