Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

धनुषां सप्तके तत्र स्थितं देवि महाप्रभम् । निर्दग्धस्तु यदा काम स्तृतीयेनाग्निना मम

Transliteration

dhanuṣāṃ saptake tatra sthitaṃ devi mahāprabham | nirdagdhastu yadā kāma stṛtīyenāgninā mama

Translation

اے دیوی! وہاں وہ نہایت درخشاں (لِنگ) سات کمانوں کے فاصلے پر قائم ہے۔ جب کام میرے تیسرے آگ—یعنی تیسرے نین کی جَوالا—سے جل کر بھسم ہوا،

Word by Word

• धनुषाम्: of bows
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सप्तके: in the group of seven
• सप्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमीविभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• स्थितम्: situated/placed
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधनविभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• महाप्रभम्: the greatly radiant (one)
• महाप्रभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महा + प्रभ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (Acc/Nom), एकवचन

• निर्दग्धः: burnt up
• निर्दग्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + दह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक दह्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (temporal adverb: when)

• कामः: Kāma (the god of love)
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तृतीयेन: by the third
• तृतीयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (अग्निना इत्यस्य)

• अग्निना: by fire
• अग्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmeśvara (site of Kāma-dahana memory)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant liṅga stands near a path marker ‘seven bow-lengths’; in a mythic overlay, Śiva’s third eye emits a flame that reduces Kāma to ashes, while the shrine remains as a calm focal point of remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Kāma
• third eye fire
• Kāmeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power disciplines desire: Kāma’s burning signifies the subordination of passion to higher spiritual order, while still allowing redemption through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāmeśvara Liṅga in Prabhāsakṣetra, described with a traditional distance marker (seven bow-lengths).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; it provides mythic context and a locational description supporting pilgrimage orientation.