Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तत्र पाशुपताः श्रेष्ठा मम लिंगार्चने रताः । तेषां चैव निवासार्थं तद्देव्या निर्मितं वनम्

Transliteration

tatra pāśupatāḥ śreṣṭhā mama liṃgārcane ratāḥ | teṣāṃ caiva nivāsārthaṃ taddevyā nirmitaṃ vanam

Translation

وہاں پاشوپتوں میں سے برگزیدہ لوگ رہتے ہیں، جو میرے لِنگ کی ارچنا میں محو ہیں۔ اور انہی کی رہائش کے لیے دیوی نے وہ جنگل بنایا تھا۔

Word by Word

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

• पाशुपताः: Pāśupatas (followers of Paśupati)
• पाशुपताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठाः: excellent, foremost
• श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पाशुपताः)

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• लिङ्ग-अर्चने: in the worship of the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-अर्चने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य अर्चनम्)

• रताः: engaged, devoted
• रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पाशुपताः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination particle)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण particle)

• निवास-अर्थम्: for (their) residence
• निवास-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवास (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (निवासाय अर्थः) = प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose)

• तत्-देव्या: by that goddess
• तत्-देव्या: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सा देवी)

• निर्मितम्: made, constructed
• निर्मितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि√मा (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वनम्)

• वनम्: forest, grove
• वनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīmukha-vana (Pāśupata-nivāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-āśrama settlement: Pāśupata elders and disciples performing liṅga worship with ash, rudrākṣa, bilva; Devī’s presence implied as the forest’s protective, creative force—trees arranged like a sanctified enclosure.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Pāśupatas
• Liṅga
• Śrīmukha-vana
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Liṅga-worship and disciplined community life (Pāśupata path) are upheld as sanctifying forces within a holy region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrīmukha-vana in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a divinely established abode for Pāśupata practitioners.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅgārcana (worship of the Śiva-liṅga) is highlighted as the central practice of the Pāśupatas.