Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

रामनाथमहालिंगसेवया यन्न लभ्यते । तदन्यद्धर्मजालेन नैव लभ्येत कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

rāmanāthamahāliṃgasevayā yanna labhyate | tadanyaddharmajālena naiva labhyeta karhicit

Translation

Ce qui n’est pas obtenu par le service rendu au grand liṅga de Rāmanātha ne sera jamais obtenu par quelque autre réseau d’observances religieuses.

Word by Word

• रामनाथमहालिंगसेवया: by worship of Rāmanātha’s great liṅga
• रामनाथमहालिंगसेवया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामनाथ-महा-लिङ्ग-सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (रामनाथस्य महालिङ्गस्य सेवा)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: is obtained)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण (other)

• धर्मजालेन: by a net/collection of other religious acts
• धर्मजालेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-जाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (धर्माणां जालम् / धर्मरूपं जालम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• एव: at all / indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (only/indeed)

• लभ्येत: could be obtained
• लभ्येत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: could be obtained)

• कर्हिचित्: ever / at any time
• कर्हिचित्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हि-चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time), ‘कदा’ अर्थे; चित्-प्रत्यययुक्त (ever)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Brāhma-khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha mahāliṅga (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs simple, focused liṅga-sevā—offering bilva leaves, water, and lamp—while other ritual paraphernalia lie aside, symbolizing the ‘net of observances’ being transcended by single-pointed devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmanātha
• Mahāliṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused devotion and service to the Lord at a sacred locus is valued above diffuse ritualism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram, through sevā of Rāmanātha’s Mahāliṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā (service/worship) of the Rāmanātha Mahāliṅga.