Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

आद्यं लिंगोद्भवं देवि ऋषिकोपान्निपातितम् । ये केचिदृषयस्तत्र देवदारुवने स्थिताः

Transliteration

ādyaṃ liṃgodbhavaṃ devi ṛṣikopānnipātitam | ye kecidṛṣayastatra devadāruvane sthitāḥ

Translation

اے دیوی! وہ اوّلین، خود ظہور لِنگ رِشیوں کے غضب کے باعث گرا دیا گیا؛ اور جو رِشی وہاں دیودارو کے جنگل میں مقیم تھے، وہی اس میں شامل تھے۔

Word by Word

• ādyam: primeval / first
• ādyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying liṃgodbhavam)

• liṃgodbhavam: the liṅga-origin (manifestation)
• liṃgodbhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga-udbhava (प्रातिपदिक; ‘liṅga’ + ‘arising/origin’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular)

• devi: O देवी
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), सम्बोधन विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• ṛṣikopāt: from the sages’ anger
• ṛṣikopāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi-kopa (प्रातिपदिक; ‘sage’ + ‘anger’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), पञ्चमी विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम् (singular)

• nipātitam: cast down
• nipātitam: Karma (Object predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-pat (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम् (singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• kecit: some
• kecit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (plural); अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite: ‘some’)

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• devadāruvane: in the deodar forest
• devadāruvane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devadāru-vana (प्रातिपदिक; ‘deodar’ + ‘forest’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), सप्तमी विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम् (singular)

• sthitāḥ: were situated / stayed
• sthitāḥ: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम् (plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mūlacaṇḍīśa (svayambhū liṅga context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A primal, self-manifest liṅga in a sacred forest; rishis dwelling in Devadāru-vana, their anger causing the liṅga’s casting down—nature and divinity intertwined.

Characters & Entities

• Devi (Pārvatī)
• Ṛṣis
• Devadāruvana
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography preserves moral memory: anger (kopa) disturbs dharma, yet the aftermath can crystallize into a revered shrine tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devadāruvana-associated sacred setting tied to the Mūlacaṇḍīśa account within Prabhāsa Kṣetra narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the participants and cause behind the shrine’s origin narrative.