Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 170

Devanagari script

पाण्डुकूपे नरः स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा लिंगानि पञ्च वै । पाण्डवैः स्थापितानीह दृष्ट्वा यज्ञफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

pāṇḍukūpe naraḥ snātvā dṛṣṭvā liṃgāni pañca vai | pāṇḍavaiḥ sthāpitānīha dṛṣṭvā yajñaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

پانڈو کوپ میں اشنان کر کے اور یہاں پانڈوؤں کے قائم کیے ہوئے پانچ لِنگوں کے درشن کر کے انسان یَجْن کے پھل کے برابر پُنّیہ پاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• पाण्डुकूपे: in the Pāṇḍu-well
• पाण्डुकूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु + कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पाण्डोः/पाण्डु-नाम्नः कूपः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative singular

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having bathed’

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having seen’

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; (लिङ्गानि) विशेषण; indeclinable numeral used adjectivally

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय; emphatic particle

• पाण्डवैः: by the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• स्थापितानि: established
• स्थापितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्थापयति; + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: णिजन्त-धातोः भूतकर्मणि क्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; (लिङ्गानि) विशेषण; ‘established’

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय; adverb of place

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having seen’

• यज्ञफलम्: the fruit of a sacrifice
• यज्ञफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; Parasmaipada

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāṇḍu-kūpa and Pāṇḍava-pañca-liṅga

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame listener(s) in the Prabhāsa-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone-lined ancient well (kūpa) with steps; pilgrims emerge from snāna, water dripping, then proceed to a cluster of five liṅgas under canopies, each with bilva leaves and lamps; a subtle aura suggests yajña-fire transmuted into sacred presence.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍu-kūpa
• Five Śiva-liṅgas
• Pāṇḍavas
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna and devoted darśana of Śiva’s liṅga are presented as accessible paths to great merit comparable to formal sacrifice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pāṇḍu-kūpa at Prabhāsa-kṣetra, along with the five Pāṇḍava-established liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at Pāṇḍu-kūpa and take darśana of the five liṅgas; this grants yajña-like merit.