Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

भूमिं भित्त्वा विवेशाथ तत्र लिंगमपश्यत । स्पर्शाख्यं तं तु संछाद्य मधुना दर्भमूलकैः

Transliteration

bhūmiṃ bhittvā viveśātha tatra liṃgamapaśyata | sparśākhyaṃ taṃ tu saṃchādya madhunā darbhamūlakaiḥ

Translation

اس نے زمین کو چیر کر اندر دخول کیا؛ وہاں اس نے ایک لِنگ کا دیدار کیا۔ ‘اسپرش’ نامی اس لِنگ کو اس نے شہد اور دربھ گھاس کی جڑوں سے ڈھانپ کر نہایت عقیدت سے سنبھالا۔

Word by Word

• भूमिम्: the ground
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'earth/ground'

• भित्त्वा: having split
• भित्त्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); 'having split'

• विवेश: entered
• विवेश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'entered'

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (particle: then/now)

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

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'liṅga'

• अपश्यत: saw
• अपश्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'saw'

• स्पर्शाख्यम्: called ‘Sparśa’
• स्पर्शाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पर्श + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे 'named Sparśa'

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'that (one)'

• तु: indeed
• तु: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• संछाद्य: having covered
• संछाद्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+छद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); 'having covered'

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental 'with honey'

• दर्भमूलकैः: with darbha-root pieces
• दर्भमूलकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ + मूलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः 'blades/tufts having darbha as root'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sparśa-liṅga (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred figure breaks open the earth and descends into a luminous cavity where a liṅga named ‘Sparśa’ is revealed; attendants watch in awe as honey and darbha roots are placed as coverings/offering.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Liṅga (Sparśa-liṅga)
• Darbha
• Honey

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence as the liṅga can manifest from hidden depths; reverent ritual attention makes the sacred accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically the manifestation associated with the Sparśa-named liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Honoring and covering the Sparśa-liṅga with honey and darbha roots as a consecratory/reverential act.