Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

गोपीश्वराच्च वायव्ये धनुषां त्रिंशकेऽन्तरे । स्थितं महाप्रभावं हि लिंगं पातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

gopīśvarācca vāyavye dhanuṣāṃ triṃśake'ntare | sthitaṃ mahāprabhāvaṃ hi liṃgaṃ pātakanāśanam

Translation

گوپیشور کے شمال مغرب میں، تیس دھنش کے فاصلے پر، عظیم تاثیر والا ایک لِنگ قائم ہے، جو گناہوں کا ناس کرنے والا ہے۔

Word by Word

• गोपीश्वरात्: from Gopīśvara
• गोपीश्वरात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative: from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वायव्ये: in the north-west (direction)
• वायव्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); दिग्वाचक (directional)

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive: of bows; measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• त्रिंशके: within thirty (bows)
• त्रिंशके: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative: within)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिंशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); परिमाणवाचक (measure)

• अन्तरे: in between/at a distance
• अन्तरे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); अन्तरालवाचक

• स्थितम्: situated
• स्थितम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); लिङ्गम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• महाप्रभावम्: of great power
• महाप्रभावम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier of लिङ्गम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतुबोधक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: कर्ता/विषय (Subject/topic: 'there is a liṅga')
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• पातकनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पातकनाशनम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पातक + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier of लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara-liṅga (described relative to Gopīśvara)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s-eye map scene: Gopīśvara shrine in the foreground; a path leading northwest to a second liṅga-temple, with a measuring staff/bow-length motif indicating ‘thirty dhanuṣ’.

Characters & Entities

• Gopīśvara
• Śiva-liṅga
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa links physical pilgrimage routes with moral purification, portraying darśana of the liṅga as pātaka-nāśana (sin-destroying).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A powerful sin-destroying Śiva-liṅga located northwest of Gopīśvara within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Directional guidance for reaching the shrine is given; the implied act is darśana/visit, not a detailed rite.