Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तत्र विंशतिसंस्कारास्तेषामष्टाधिकाभवन् । कथिताः शंकरेणैव लिंगस्याचनसूचकाः

Transliteration

tatra viṃśatisaṃskārāsteṣāmaṣṭādhikābhavan | kathitāḥ śaṃkareṇaiva liṃgasyācanasūcakāḥ

Translation

Dort wurden zwanzig Saṃskāras anerkannt, und sie wurden insgesamt achtundzwanzig. Śaṅkara selbst lehrte sie als Kennzeichen der rechten Verehrung und ehrfürchtigen Huldigung des Liṅga.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• विंशति-संस्काराः: twenty rites
• विंशति-संस्काराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (विंशतिः संस्काराः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अष्ट-अधिकाः: eight more (in addition)
• अष्ट-अधिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अष्टभिः अधिकाः = eight more)

• अभवन्: were/occurred
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथिताः: were told/declared
• कथिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय

• शङ्करेण: by Śaṅkara
• शङ्करेण: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• आचन-सूचकाः: indicators of ablution (bathing rites)
• आचन-सूचकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आचन + सूचक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आचनस्य सूचकाः = indicating bathing/ablution)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), reporting Śaṅkara’s teaching (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara as the supreme teacher instructs sages/attendants in a counted set of liṅga-saṃskāras; a ritual diagram-like atmosphere with offerings laid out in orderly rows.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Saṃskāra (rites)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion is disciplined: Śiva’s worship is upheld through defined rites that cultivate reverence, purity, and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not name a single site; it shifts from geography to the dharmic-ritual principles of liṅga worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A structured set of liṅga-related saṃskāras (rites), stated as twenty and then expanded to twenty-eight, taught by Śaṅkara as markers of proper veneration.