Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

संस्थितं तु महल्लिंगं देवाचार्य प्रतिष्ठितम् । आराध्य परया भक्त्या लिंगं वर्षसहस्रकम्

Transliteration

saṃsthitaṃ tu mahalliṃgaṃ devācārya pratiṣṭhitam | ārādhya parayā bhaktyā liṃgaṃ varṣasahasrakam

Translation

وہاں ایک عظیم لِنگ قائم ہے، جسے دیواچاریہ نے پرتیِشٹھت کیا۔ اس لِنگ کی اعلیٰ ترین بھکتی سے ہزار برس تک پوجا کر کے،

Word by Word

• saṃsthitam: situated
• saṃsthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-sthā (धातु) क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘situated/standing’); liṅgam इति विशेषणम्

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): विरोध/अन्वयार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—liṅgam इति विशेषणम्

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (context: object of ārādhya; also topic)

• deva-ācārya: by the divine teacher
• deva-ācārya: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + ācārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देशे (‘by the divine teacher’)

• pratiṣṭhitam: installed
• pratiṣṭhitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-sthā (धातु) क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘installed/established’); liṅgam इति विशेषणम्

• ārādhya: having worshipped
• ārādhya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-rādh (धातु) ल्यप्/क्त्वा-सम (कृदन्त, अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having worshipped’

• parayā: with supreme
• parayā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—bhaktyā इति विशेषणम् (‘supreme’)

• bhaktyā: devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करणम् (means)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (ārādhya इत्यस्य)

• varṣa-sahasrakam: for a thousand years
• varṣa-sahasrakam: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa + sahasraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालपरिमाणवाचकं कर्मप्रवृत्तिनिर्देशे (‘for a thousand years’)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration to Umā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bṛhaspati/Devācārya-pratiṣṭhita Mahā-liṅga at Prabhāsa

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A monumental black stone liṅga stands in a sanctum-like setting at Prabhāsa; Devācārya (identified with the divine preceptor Bṛhaspati in the narrative stream) performs prolonged worship—offerings, lamps, and water-libations—signifying a thousand-year devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Umā
• Devācārya
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Enduring devotion to Śiva expressed through liṅga worship is presented as a powerful means to attain extraordinary spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A great liṅga shrine in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, installed by Devācārya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-ārādhana (worship) with parā bhakti, described as performed for ‘a thousand years’ (hyperbolic tapas/idealized duration).