Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

स्थापनाद्ब्रह्महत्यां च भ्रूणहत्यां तथैव च । महापापानि चान्यानि निस्तीर्णाः शिवतेजसा

Transliteration

sthāpanādbrahmahatyāṃ ca bhrūṇahatyāṃ tathaiva ca | mahāpāpāni cānyāni nistīrṇāḥ śivatejasā

Translation

Durch die Aufstellung des Liṅga werden selbst die Sünde des Brahmanenmordes und die Sünde der Tötung des Ungeborenen—wie auch andere große Sünden—durch Śivas Glanz überschritten.

Word by Word

• स्थापनात्: from (the act of) installing
• स्थापनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थापन (प्रातिपदिक; स्था (धातु) → णिच् → स्थापन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ—‘स्थापनात्’ = ‘स्थापनकारणात्/स्थापनस्य फलतः’

• ब्रह्महत्याम्: Brahmin-slaying (sin)
• ब्रह्महत्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• भ्रूणहत्याम्: foetus-slaying (sin)
• भ्रूणहत्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रूण-हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; रीतिवाचक

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• महापापानि: great sins
• महापापानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; ‘महापापानि’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• निस्तीर्णाः: were crossed over/overcome
• निस्तीर्णाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु) + निस्-उपसर्ग → निस्तॄ; निस्तीर्ण (कृदन्त—क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगार्थक—‘(ते) निस्तीर्णाः (अभवन्)’

• शिवतेजसा: by Śiva’s power/splendour
• शिवतेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (liṅga-pratiṣṭhā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience seeking phala (benefits)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A repentant devotee sponsors liṅga installation; dark smoke-like forms labeled as ‘brahmahatyā’ and ‘bhrūṇahatyā’ dissolve into a radiant aura emanating from the consecrated liṅga, symbolizing pāpa-kṣaya by Śiva-tejas.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-tejas
• Liṅga-sthāpana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s grace, accessed through sacred acts like liṅga-sthāpana, is portrayed as powerful enough to redeem even grave wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement is framed within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, where such acts are especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana is presented as an expiatory act (prāyaścitta) capable of removing mahāpāpas.