Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

रामनाथमहालिंगं गोक्षीरैः स्नापयन्नरः । कुलैकविंशमुत्तार्य शिवलोके महीयते

Transliteration

rāmanāthamahāliṃgaṃ gokṣīraiḥ snāpayannaraḥ | kulaikaviṃśamuttārya śivaloke mahīyate

Translation

L’homme qui baigne le grand Liṅga de Rāmanātha avec du lait de vache élève vingt et une générations de sa lignée et est honoré dans le monde de Śiva.

Word by Word

• रामनाथमहालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga of Rāmanātha
• रामनाथमहालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामनाथ + महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (रामनाथस्य) महालिङ्गम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गोक्षीरैः: with cow’s milk
• गोक्षीरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—गोः क्षीरम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• स्नापयन्: bathing (causing to be bathed)
• स्नापयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) [णिच्: स्नापय-]
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुलैकविंशम्: twenty-one (generations of) families
• कुलैकविंशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल + एकविंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (संख्यापूर्वकः): 'one-and-twenty families'

• उत्तार्य: having delivered (rescued)
• उत्तार्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्+तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having delivered/rescued'

• शिवलोके: in Śiva’s world
• शिवलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—शिवस्य लोकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• महीयते: is honored/glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः: 'is honored/glorified'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha Mahāliṅga (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rṣi/audience seeking tīrtha-phala details

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A white stream of cow’s milk cascades over the liṅga; the sanctum glows with lamp-light, and family members stand with folded hands, visualizing ancestors receiving uplift.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmanātha
• Śiva
• Śivaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti at a powerful tīrtha is said to benefit not only the devotee but also the devotee’s ancestors and descendants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmanātha/Rāmeśvara at Setu (Rāmeśvaram).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka of the Rāmanātha Liṅga with cow’s milk (go-kṣīra).