Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

संस्थाप्य विधिवत्पूज्य लिंगं वर्षसहस्रकम् । अलकाधिपतिर्जातस्तत्र शंभोः प्रसादतः

Transliteration

saṃsthāpya vidhivatpūjya liṃgaṃ varṣasahasrakam | alakādhipatirjātastatra śaṃbhoḥ prasādataḥ

Translation

لِنگ کو شاستری طریقے سے قائم کرکے اور ہزار برس تک قاعدے کے مطابق پوجا کرکے، شَمبھو کے فضل سے وہ الکا کا حاکم بن گیا۔

Word by Word

• saṃsthāpya: having installed
• saṃsthāpya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) from causative stem saṃsthāpaya- (< sam + √sthā); ‘having installed’

• vidhivat: according to the prescribed rite
• vidhivat: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi-vat (अव्यय; विधि + वत्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘according to rule’

• pūjya: having worshipped
• pūjya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/य-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/absolutive-like in sequence); here as gerund ‘having worshipped’ (from √pūj)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object of saṃsthāpya/pūjya)

• varṣasahasrakam: for a thousand years
• varṣasahasrakam: Karma (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa-sahasraka (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ष + सहस्रक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration as object/extent)

• alakādhipatiḥ: lord of Alakā
• alakādhipatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alakā-adhipati (प्रातिपदिक; अलका + अधिपति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• jātaḥ: became
• jātaḥ: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP) from √jan; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भावे/परिणामे (became)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (adverb of place)

• śaṃbhoḥ: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• prasādataḥ: from (his) grace
• prasādataḥ: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (cause)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kubera-pratiṣṭhita liṅga at Prabhāsa (Dhanadeśvara)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kubera ceremonially installs the liṅga with Vedic priests; then a time-lapse sense of a thousand-year worship—rows of lamps, seasonal garlands, repeated abhiṣeka—ending with Śiva’s blessing and Kubera enthroned as Alakādhipati.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Alakā
• Alakādhipati (Kubera)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained, rule-based worship of Śiva brings both spiritual grace and rightful prosperity when aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dhanada-made Liṅga near Rāhuliṅga in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where Kubera worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhivat-saṃsthāpanā (proper installation) and vidhivat-pūjā (rule-based worship) over a long vow-like duration.