Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

विश्रामार्थं क्षणं मुक्त्वा देव्या लिंगं प्रतिष्ठितम् । समभ्यर्च्य विधानेन गृहीत्वा वडवानलम् । समुद्रमध्ये चिक्षेप देवानां हितकाम्यया

Transliteration

viśrāmārthaṃ kṣaṇaṃ muktvā devyā liṃgaṃ pratiṣṭhitam | samabhyarcya vidhānena gṛhītvā vaḍavānalam | samudramadhye cikṣepa devānāṃ hitakāmyayā

Translation

女神为求片刻安歇，便安立一座林伽；依仪轨恭敬供奉后，她执起瓦达瓦那罗（Vaḍavānala），将其投向大海中央——为求诸天之利益安泰。

Word by Word

• viśrāma-artham: for the sake of rest
• viśrāma-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśrāma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (viśrāmasya arthaḥ → viśrāmārthaḥ), क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (purpose)

• kṣaṇam: a moment
• kṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• muktvā: having left (released)
• muktvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकर्म/Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (मुच्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘मुक्त्वा’ = having released/left

• devyā: by the Goddess
• devyā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• pratiṣṭhitam: (was) established
• pratiṣṭhitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √sthā (स्था, धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘स्थापितम्/प्रतिष्ठापितम्’

• samabhyarcya: having worshipped
• samabhyarcya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकर्म/Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + abhi + √arc (अर्च्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक; ‘समभ्यर्च्य’ = having duly worshipped

• vidhānena: by the prescribed rite
• vidhānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• gṛhītvā: having taken
• gṛhītvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकर्म/Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (ग्रह्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक; ‘गृहीत्वा’ = having taken

• vaḍavānalam: the submarine fire (Vaḍavānala)
• vaḍavānalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaḍavā (प्रातिपदिक) + anala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vaḍavāyāḥ analaḥ)

• samudra-madhye: in the middle of the ocean
• samudra-madhye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (samudrasya madhye)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• cikṣepa: she cast/threw
• cikṣepa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣip (क्षिप्, धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• hita-kāmyayā: with the desire for (their) welfare
• hita-kāmyayā: Hetu (Cause/Motive/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक) + kāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (hitasya kāmyā)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairaveśvara/Agnigocara coastal node (contextual) and Samudra-madhya repository

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī pauses to rest, sets a liṅga on a pedestal, performs formal worship with offerings; then lifts the contained Vaḍavānala and casts it into the ocean’s center; gods watch from the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Liṅga
• Vaḍavānala
• Ocean (Samudra)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual correctness joined with compassionate intent (lokahita) sanctifies action and anchors it in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Prabhāsa coastal shrine established by Devī, connected with the Vaḍavānala episode and ocean setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and vidhivat arcana (worship according to prescribed procedure).