Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अनेककल्पस्थायी च मार्कंडेयो महातपाः । सोऽपि देवं विरूपाक्षं प्रभासे तु सदाऽर्चति

Transliteration

anekakalpasthāyī ca mārkaṃḍeyo mahātapāḥ | so'pi devaṃ virūpākṣaṃ prabhāse tu sadā'rcati

Translation

Si Mārkaṇḍeya, ang dakilang asceta na nananatili sa maraming kalpa, maging siya man ay walang patid na sumasamba sa Diyos na si Virūpākṣa sa Prabhāsa.

Word by Word

• अनेक-कल्प-स्थायी: enduring for many aeons
• अनेक-कल्प-स्थायी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थायी (कृदन्त, √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अनेकान् कल्पान् स्थायी)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• महातपाः: of great austerity
• महातपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् तपाः यस्य) / बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रचलित; विशेषण (मार्कण्डेयः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• विरूपाक्षम्: Virūpākṣa (the odd-eyed one; Śiva)
• विरूपाक्षम्: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूपाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• अर्चति: worships
• अर्चति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘devi’) and/or assembled sages (frame-dependent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ageless sage Mārkaṇḍeya, matted locks and deer-skin, performs uninterrupted liṅga-arcana to Virūpākṣa at luminous Prabhāsa; coastal light, sacred precinct, attendants of Śiva in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the greatest sages uphold tīrtha-worship; sacred places remain central to dharma alongside austerity and longevity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as the place where Virūpākṣa is worshiped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (regular worship) of Śiva as Virūpākṣa at Prabhāsa.