Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ततो मार्गस्य शून्यत्वात्तृट्क्षुधापीडितौ भृशम् । आस्तां विचेतनौ विप्रौ सिद्धलिंगसमीपतः

Transliteration

tato mārgasya śūnyatvāttṛṭkṣudhāpīḍitau bhṛśam | āstāṃ vicetanau viprau siddhaliṃgasamīpataḥ

Translation

Alors, le chemin étant désert, les deux brāhmaṇas furent cruellement tourmentés par la soif et la faim. Près du Siddhaliṅga, ils demeurèrent sans connaissance, défaillants.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (from there/thereupon)

• मार्गस्य: of the path
• मार्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• शून्यत्वात्: because of emptiness/desolation
• शून्यत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शून्यत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• तृट्-क्षुधा-पीडितौ: afflicted by thirst and hunger
• तृट्-क्षुधा-पीडितौ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृट् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण—‘विप्रौ’; अर्थः ‘तृष्णया क्षुधया च पीडितौ’

• भृशम्: greatly, severely
• भृशम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक-अव्यय (intensifier adverb)

• आस्ताम्: they stayed/remained
• आस्ताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘अतिष्ठताम्/अवस्थितौ’

• विचेतनौ: unconscious, senseless
• विचेतनौ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण—‘विप्रौ’

• विप्रौ: the two brāhmaṇas
• विप्रौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• सिद्ध-लिङ्ग-समीपतः: near Siddhaliṅga
• सिद्ध-लिङ्ग-समीपतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत्—‘सिद्धलिङ्गस्य समीपात्/समीपे’ (near Siddhaliṅga)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhaliṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A barren, empty road under harsh sun; two brāhmaṇas collapse from thirst and hunger beside a solitary Siddhaliṅga—stone liṅga under a tree or small shrine—suggesting silent divine presence.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhaliṅga
• two brāhmaṇas (viprau)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-yātrā may test the body through hardship, yet proximity to a liṅga-sthala becomes a refuge and turning point.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddhaliṅga, presented as a significant sacred point along the route.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes the pilgrims’ ordeal and their arrival near the liṅga.