Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

कृताश्रमः पूजयति सदा स्तंभेश्वरं मुनिः । सोऽप्येवं मामि वापृच्छन्मुनिं रोदनकारणम्

Transliteration

kṛtāśramaḥ pūjayati sadā staṃbheśvaraṃ muniḥ | so'pyevaṃ māmi vāpṛcchanmuniṃ rodanakāraṇam

Translation

Jener Weise hatte, nachdem er die Pflichten seines āśrama ordnungsgemäß vollendet hatte, stets Stambheśvara verehrt. Als er mich so sah, fragte er mich wie einen Mitasketen nach dem Grund meines Weinens.

Word by Word

• कृताश्रमः: one who has undertaken the āśrama (vow/stage)
• कृताश्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (कृतः आश्रमः यस्य/कृत-आश्रमः = आश्रमं कृतवान्)

• पूजयति: worships
• पूजयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (time adverb)

• स्तंभेश्वरम्: Stambheśvara (Lord of the pillar)
• स्तंभेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्तम्भस्य ईश्वरः)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक निपात (comparative particle)

• अपृच्छत्: asked
• अपृच्छत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुनिम्: the sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• रोदनकारणम्: the cause of weeping
• रोदनकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोदन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रोदनस्य कारणम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) describing the scene; the questioning is by another muni

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Stambheśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage in simple garments performs daily worship to a Śiva-liṅga named Stambheśvara—offering water, bilva leaves, and lamps—within a shrine marked by a prominent pillar (stambha) motif.

Characters & Entities

• Stambheśvara
• Śiva
• Muni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady worship of Śiva at a sacred site (Stambheśvara) and compassionate inquiry into another’s suffering are both marks of dhārmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Stambheśvara shrine (a Śiva-sthāna), presented as a place of continual worship and sacred presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular pūjā (worship) of Stambheśvara is highlighted, implying daily devotional observance.