Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

लिंगेन सह पञ्चत्वं लिंगेन सह जीवितम् । एते धर्माः सुप्रतिष्ठाः शैलादेन प्रतिष्ठिताः

Transliteration

liṃgena saha pañcatvaṃ liṃgena saha jīvitam | ete dharmāḥ supratiṣṭhāḥ śailādena pratiṣṭhitāḥ

Translation

Avec le liṅga advient la «fin en cinq» (la mort), et avec le liṅga demeure la vie même. Ces dharmas, solidement fondés, furent établis par Śailāda.

Word by Word

• liṅgena: with the liṅga
• liṅgena: Sahārtha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• saha: together with
• saha: Sambandha (Association marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (preposition/particle meaning 'with')

• pañcatvam: the state of five-ness (death/return to elements)
• pañcatvam: Karma/Pradhāna (Complement/प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañcatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• liṅgena: with the liṅga
• liṅgena: Sahārtha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• saha: together with
• saha: Sambandha (Association marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (particle)

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karma/Pradhāna (Complement/प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ete: these
• ete: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (demonstrative)

• dharmāḥ: duties/observances
• dharmāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• supratiṣṭhāḥ: well-established
• supratiṣṭhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + pratiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (agreeing with dharmāḥ)

• śailādena: by Śailāda
• śailādena: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śailāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• pratiṣṭhitāḥ: established
• pratiṣṭhitāḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Predicative/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-√sthā (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural (agreeing with dharmāḥ)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee holding a liṅga close to the heart while another scene shows the same liṅga present at the funeral threshold—life and death unified by the same sacred emblem; Śailāda stands as lawgiver of these dharmas.

Characters & Entities

• Śailāda
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Make Śiva (the liṅga) the axis of life and death; such steadfast devotion is presented as a stable dharma leading to spiritual firmness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region is implied as the setting where liṅga-centered dharma is celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general vow-like orientation is taught: to live and face death ‘with the liṅga’—i.e., under Śiva’s refuge—rather than a specific ceremony.