Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति तल्लिंगं साम्यभावमुपागतम् । धौतपाप्मा गतस्तीर्थं द्विजो लिंगनिरीक्षिणात्

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti talliṃgaṃ sāmyabhāvamupāgatam | dhautapāpmā gatastīrthaṃ dvijo liṃganirīkṣiṇāt

Translation

Von da an gelangte jener Liṅga in einen Zustand von Gleichmaß und Ruhe. Und ein Zweimalgeborener, von Sünde gereinigt, erreicht die heilige Furt schon durch das Schauen des Liṅga.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• प्रभृति: from (that time)
• प्रभृति: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (from/since; postposition-like)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• साम्यभावम्: a state of equality/normalcy
• साम्यभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• उपागतम्: having attained
• उपागतम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + उप-आ- (उपसर्ग) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of लिङ्गम्)

• धौतपाप्मा: one whose sin was washed away
• धौतपाप्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धौत (कृदन्त; √धाव्/√धौ (धातु) + क्त) + पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (whose sin is washed)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used verbally)

• तीर्थम्: to the sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• द्विजः: the Brahmin
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गनिरीक्षिणात्: from seeing the liṅga / due to the beholder of the liṅga
• लिङ्गनिरीक्षिणात्: Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + निरीक्षिन् (कृदन्त; √ईक्ष् (धातु) + निर्-उपसर्ग + णिनि/इन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; purāṇic narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Liṅga-tīrtha associated with Caṇḍālasthala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm, steady liṅga radiating balanced serenity; a twice-born pilgrim stands with folded hands, eyes fixed on the liṅga, a sense of inner cleansing and peace washing over him.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Tīrtha
• Dvija
• Pāpmā (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of the liṅga is presented as a direct purifier; sacred vision aligned with faith grants pāpa-kṣaya and access to tīrtha-merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya liṅga and its associated tīrtha are glorified, emphasizing pilgrimage benefit through liṅga-darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-darśana (beholding the liṅga) is highlighted as spiritually efficacious, implying a devotional pilgrimage act.