Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सोमनाथप्रतिष्ठार्थमृक्षराजनिमंत्रितः । प्रतिज्ञातं पुरा तेन ब्रह्मणा लोककारिणा

Transliteration

somanāthapratiṣṭhārthamṛkṣarājanimaṃtritaḥ | pratijñātaṃ purā tena brahmaṇā lokakāriṇā

Translation

سومناتھ کی پرتِشٹھا کے لیے، ستاروں کے سردار کی دعوت پر، جہانوں کے خیرخواہ برہما نے قدیم زمانے میں ایک پرتِگیا (عہد) کیا تھا۔

Word by Word

• सोमनाथप्रतिष्ठार्थम्: for the purpose of establishing Somanātha
• सोमनाथप्रतिष्ठार्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—(सोमनाथस्य प्रतिष्ठायाः अर्थम्) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• ऋक्षराजनिमंत्रितः: invited by the king of bears (Jāmbavān)
• ऋक्षराजनिमंत्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमन्त्रि (धातु) → निमंत्रित (कृदन्त) + ऋक्षराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); समासः—ऋक्षराजेन निमंत्रितः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः)

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: was promised
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ज्ञा (धातु) → प्रतिज्ञात (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) — ‘promised/pledged’ (used predicatively)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• लोककारिणा: by the benefactor of the worlds
• लोककारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; समासः—लोकस्य कारिणा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Soma, radiant and moon-crowned, respectfully invites four-faced Brahmā to officiate/authorize the establishment of Somnātha; behind them rises a liṅga shrine under construction, with devas witnessing and ritual vessels arranged.

Characters & Entities

• Somanātha
• Soma (Ṛkṣarāja)
• Brahmā
• Pratiṣṭhā (consecration)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred institutions are portrayed as grounded in vows and cosmic responsibility—divine pledges support the stability of dharma in a place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somanātha at Prabhāsa Kṣetra, linked with its consecration narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references pratiṣṭhā (establishment/consecration) of Somanātha, but does not detail the ritual steps in this verse.