Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

रामनाथमहालिंगं रंभापक्वैर्विमर्दयन् । विनाश्य सकलं पापं वायुलोके मही यते

Transliteration

rāmanāthamahāliṃgaṃ raṃbhāpakvairvimardayan | vināśya sakalaṃ pāpaṃ vāyuloke mahī yate

Translation

Wer den großen Liṅga des Rāmanātha mit reifen Rambā-Bananen andächtig einreibt, vernichtet alle Sünde und wird in der Welt des Vāyu geehrt.

Word by Word

• रामनाथ: Rāmanātha
• रामनाथ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रामस्य नाथः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-समासाङ्ग, एकवचन (stem-form)

• महा: great
• महा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-पूर्वपदवत् (समासाङ्ग), ‘महदर्थ’

• लिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समाससमाहार (रामनाथस्य महालिङ्गम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रम्भा: plantain/banana
• रम्भा: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (stem-form)

• पक्वैः: with ripe (bananas)
• पक्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पक्व (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘पक्व’ = ripe, नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; अत्र करणत्वे

• विमर्दयन्: rubbing
• विमर्दयन्: Kriya (Verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-मृद् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘विमर्दयन्’ = rubbing/pressing

• विनाश्य: having destroyed
• विनाश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-नश् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वार्थ), ‘having destroyed’

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पापम्’ विशेषण

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वायु: of Vāyu
• वायु: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (stem-form)

• लोके: in the world/realm
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वायोः लोकः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• महीयते: is honored
• महीयते: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मही (धातु; मह्/मही—‘to honor’)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः ‘is honored/glorified’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General devotee audience; verse continues a didactic list

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ripe yellow plantains are offered and gently pressed/anointed over the liṅga as a devotional upacāra; petals and bilva leaves surround the base; a breeze motif (Vāyu) is suggested by swirling incense smoke and fluttering banners.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmanātha
• Vāyu
• Vāyuloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, tangible offerings performed with reverence are taught as spiritually transformative at a celebrated sacred site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmanātha/Rāmeśvara in the Setu region (Rāmeśvaram).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worshipful rubbing/anointing (vimardana) of the Liṅga with ripe plantains (raṃbhāpakva).