Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अब्रवीत्पातितं लिंगं वालखिल्यैः पिनाकिनः । तेनैते दारुणोत्पाताः संजाता भयसूचकाः

Transliteration

abravītpātitaṃ liṃgaṃ vālakhilyaiḥ pinākinaḥ | tenaite dāruṇotpātāḥ saṃjātā bhayasūcakāḥ

Translation

اس نے کہا، “پِناک دھاری شِو کا لِنگ وَالخِلیہ رِشیوں نے گرا دیا ہے؛ اسی سبب یہ ہولناک اُتپات پیدا ہوئے ہیں جو خوف کی خبر دیتے ہیں۔”

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• पातितम्: caused to fall; fallen
• पातितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + पातित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययः (णिच् causative + क्त past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• वालखिल्यैः: by the Vālakhilyas
• वालखिल्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (instrumental), बहुवचन (plural)

• पिनाकिनः: of Pinākin (Śiva)
• पिनाकिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• तेन: thereby; by that
• तेन: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• दारुणोत्पाताः: terrible portents
• दारुणोत्पाताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• संजाताः: have arisen
• संजाताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• भयसूचकाः: indicating fear
• भयसूचकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + सूचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘of fear’), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Pitāmaha (Brahmā) (reported by Sūta) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-associated Śiva-liṅga (specific name not given in the provided verses)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā reveals the cause: a Śiva-liṅga lies toppled, while Vālakhilya sages—tiny, radiant ascetics—stand nearby; the air is thick with dread as portents swirl across the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Vālakhilya
• Pinākin (Śiva)
• liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespect toward Śiva’s sacred principle (liṅga) destabilizes the world; restoration of reverence restores order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda-kṣetra is the implied locus where the liṅga-event occurs, making it a potent Shaiva sacred geography within the Skanda Purana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied remedy is re-establishing the liṅga in its proper place; the explicit instruction follows in subsequent verses.