Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

को ह्यर्थो बहुभिर्लिंगैर्दृष्टैर्वा सुरसुन्दरि । वरुणेशेन दृष्टेन सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

ko hyartho bahubhirliṃgairdṛṣṭairvā surasundari | varuṇeśena dṛṣṭena sarvatīrthaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

اے دیوی حسن والی، بہت سے لِنگوں کے دیدار کی کیا حاجت؟ ورُṇیشور کے محض درشن سے تمام تیرتھوں کا پھل مل جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• कः: what?/which?
• कः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• अर्थः: use/purpose
• अर्थः: Karta (Subject complement with ‘कः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बहुभिः: with many
• बहुभिः: Karaṇa-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of लिङ्गैः)

• लिङ्गैः: liṅgas
• लिङ्गैः: Karaṇa (Instrument; ‘by seeing many liṅgas’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• दृष्टैः: seen
• दृष्टैः: Karaṇa-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; धातु: √दृश्; ‘seen’ (agreeing with लिङ्गैः)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विकल्पार्थक (or)

• सुरसुन्दरि: O beautiful goddess
• सुरसुन्दरि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सुराणां सुन्दरी)

• वरुणेशेन: by Varuṇeśa (Varuṇeśvara)
• वरुणेशेन: Karaṇa (Instrument; by seeing Varuṇeśa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुणेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम

• दृष्टेन: when seen / by having seen
• दृष्टेन: Karaṇa-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; धातु: √दृश्; ‘seen’ (with वरुणेशेन)

• सर्वतीर्थफलम्: the fruit of all pilgrimages
• सर्वतीर्थफलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां तीर्थानां फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √लभ्

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice addressing a देवी/Devi within the māhātmya dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Varuṇeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Surasundarī / Varānane (addressed directly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple approaches Varuṇeśvara; behind the liṅga appear faint visionary silhouettes of many famous tīrthas (Gaṅgā ghāṭs, Kedāra peaks, Venkata hill, etc.), indicating ‘all tīrthas’ contained in one darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed devotion and darśana of a highly praised kṣetra-deity can equal the merit of extensive pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Varuṇeśvara at Prabhāsa Kṣetra, praised as granting the fruit of all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act emphasized is darśana—beholding Varuṇeśvara—as a complete pilgrimage-fruit in itself.