Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अतीतं च तथागामि कुलानां तारयेच्छतम् । मृन्मयं काष्ठनिष्पन्नं पक्वेष्टं शैलमेव च

Transliteration

atītaṃ ca tathāgāmi kulānāṃ tārayecchatam | mṛnmayaṃ kāṣṭhaniṣpannaṃ pakveṣṭaṃ śailameva ca

Translation

તે ભૂતકાળના તથા આવનારા—બન્ને પ્રકારના કુલોમાંથી સો કુલોને તારણ આપે છે. લિંગ માટીનું હોય, લાકડાથી બનાવેલું હોય, પક્વ ઇંટનું હોય કે પથ્થરનું હોય—બધામાં પણ (એ જ પાવનતા છે).

Word by Word

• अतीतम्: past
• अतीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतीत (अत् + इ धातु-क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘past’ (qualifying an implied object, e.g., time/lineage)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• आगामि: future/that which is to come
• आगामि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आगामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘coming/future’ (qualifying an implied object)

• कुलानाम्: of families/lineages
• कुलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तारयेत्: should ferry across/save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• मृन्मयम्: made of clay
• मृन्मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘made of clay’

• काष्ठनिष्पन्नम्: made from wood
• काष्ठनिष्पन्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काष्ठ + निष्पन्न (निष्+पद् धातु-क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘produced from wood’

• पक्वेष्टम्: baked/fired
• पक्वेष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पक्व + इष्ट (इष् धातु-क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘baked/brick-like (fired)’

• शैलम्: stone/rock
• शैलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; अवधारण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāsena (Skanda)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble liṅga made of different materials shown in four vignettes—clay, wood, brick, stone—each receiving worship; behind, a lineage-tree with ancestors above and descendants below illuminated by Śiva’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Kula (lineage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-centered acts are said to uplift not only the individual but entire family lineages across time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and its trans-generational merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Acknowledgement of acceptable liṅga materials: clay, wood, baked brick, and stone.