Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणाद्देवि मूलचण्डीशसंज्ञितम् । लिंगं पापहरं नृणामर्द्धचन्द्रेण भूषितम्

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇāddevi mūlacaṇḍīśasaṃjñitam | liṃgaṃ pāpaharaṃ nṛṇāmarddhacandreṇa bhūṣitam

Translation

Pour cette raison, ô Déesse, le liṅga est connu sous le nom de Mūlacaṇḍīśa. Il efface les péchés des hommes et se trouve orné du croissant de lune.

Word by Word

• etasmāt: from this
• etasmāt: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन

• kāraṇāt: cause/reason
• kāraṇāt: Apadana (Cause-source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन

• devi: O देवी
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• mūla-caṇḍīśa-saṃjñitam: named ‘Mūla-Caṇḍīśa’
• mūla-caṇḍīśa-saṃjñitam: Karma (Object attribute/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūla+caṇḍīśa+saṃjñita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: (मूल-चण्डीश) + संज्ञित (क्त participle from सम्+√ज्ञा 'to be named'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with 'लिङ्गम्' (acc.)

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• liṅgam: Karta (Topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as subject of implied 'asti' or object in description

• pāpa-haram: sin-removing
• pāpa-haram: Karta (Attribute/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa+hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पापं हरति इति); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies 'लिङ्गम्'

• nṛṇām: of men/people
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• ardha-candreṇa: with a half-moon
• ardha-candreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha+candra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अर्धः चन्द्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• bhūṣitam: adorned
• bhūṣitam: Karta (Attribute/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhūṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies 'लिङ्गम्'

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mūlacaṇḍīśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of the Mūlacaṇḍīśa liṅga adorned with the crescent moon motif; pilgrims’ sins are symbolically shown dissolving as dark smoke into the sanctum’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Mūlacaṇḍīśa Liṅga
• Ardhacandra (half-moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred darśana of Śiva at a kṣetra purifies sin; the deity’s marks (like the half-moon) signify divine identity and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mūlacaṇḍīśa liṅga at Prabhāsa kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, liṅga-darśana/worship for pāpa-kṣaya (removal of sins).