Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

षण्मुखेन महादेवि तत्र कृत्वा महत्तपः । प्रतिष्ठितं महालिंगं कुमारेशस्ततोऽभवत्

Transliteration

ṣaṇmukhena mahādevi tatra kṛtvā mahattapaḥ | pratiṣṭhitaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ kumāreśastato'bhavat

Translation

اے مہادیوی! وہاں شَنمُکھ نے عظیم تپسیا کی؛ پھر ایک مہا لِنگ کی پرتِشٹھا ہوئی، اور اسی سے وہ ‘کُماریشور’ کے نام سے معروف ہوا۔

Word by Word

• षण्मुखेन: by Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced Skanda)
• षण्मुखेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instr/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

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

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् तपः-विशेषण

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya/Visheshana (State/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति + स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (लिङ्गम्-विशेषण)

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma/Pratipadyam (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुमारेशः: Kumāreśa
• कुमारेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) performing intense tapas in the coastal sacred landscape of Prabhāsa; a radiant mahā-liṅga being established, with Devī addressed as witness; the air charged with consecratory light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Kumāreśvara
• Liṅga
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas culminates in consecration and sacred presence; the holiness of a place is grounded in exemplary ascetic effort and divine establishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kumāreśvara Liṅga at Prabhāsa-kṣetra, established through the tapas of Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse describes Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (establishment/consecration) as the founding act; it implies worship at the established Liṅga for merit.