Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

यच्च ब्रवीषि पाषाणं मिथ्या लिंगं समर्चसि । तद्भवांल्लिंगमाहात्म्यं वेत्ति नांधो यथा रविम्

Transliteration

yacca bravīṣi pāṣāṇaṃ mithyā liṃgaṃ samarcasi | tadbhavāṃlliṃgamāhātmyaṃ vetti nāṃdho yathā ravim

Translation

Wenn du sagst: „Du verehrst nur einen Stein—ein trügerisches Liṅga“, zeigst du, dass du die Größe des Liṅga nicht kennst, wie ein Blinder die Sonne nicht wahrnehmen kann.

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धार्थ (‘that which’)

• च: and
• च: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ (‘and’)

• ब्रवीषि: you say
• ब्रवीषि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पाषाणम्: stone
• पाषाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मिथ्या: falsely
• मिथ्या: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (‘falsely’)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समर्चसि: you worship, honor
• समर्चसि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ (‘that’)

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आदरार्थ (‘you’)

• लिङ्ग: liṅga
• लिङ्ग: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः: लिङ्ग-माहात्म्यम् (‘the greatness of the liṅga’)

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• अन्धः: a blind man
• अन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Adverbial (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थ (‘as’)

• रविम्: the sun
• रविम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-liṅga (general/any established liṅga)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple interior with a radiant Śiva-liṅga; a skeptic points dismissively, while the teacher indicates the liṅga’s divine radiance; above, the sun motif underscores the ‘blind to the sun’ analogy.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Ravi (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred symbols are not reduced to their material; devotion recognizes the divine presence and the liṅga’s māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse defends liṅga worship in principle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, proper worship (arcana) of the liṅga is upheld, though no specific rite is detailed.