Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

स्तंभतीर्थमिति ख्यातं स्तम्भो गर्वः कृतो यतः । स्तंभस्य हि फलं सद्यो ब्रह्मापि प्राप किं परः

Transliteration

staṃbhatīrthamiti khyātaṃ stambho garvaḥ kṛto yataḥ | staṃbhasya hi phalaṃ sadyo brahmāpi prāpa kiṃ paraḥ

Translation

Ia akan termasyhur sebagai “Stambhatīrtha”, sebab di sana kesombongan (garva) ditegakkan bagaikan sebuah pilar (stambha). Buah kesombongan datang seketika—jika Brahmā pun mengalaminya, apalagi yang lain.

Word by Word

• staṃbha-tīrtham: the Staṃbha-tīrtha
• staṃbha-tīrtham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: staṃbha (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्तम्भस्य तीर्थम्)

• iti: thus/called
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• khyātam: is known
• khyātam: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khyāta (कृदन्त; √khyā)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• stambhaḥ: pride/rigidity (stambha)
• stambhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stambha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• garvaḥ: arrogance
• garvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समानााधिकरण (apposition)

• kṛtaḥ: was made/was caused
• kṛtaḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• yataḥ: because/wherefrom
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतुवाचक (causal relative adverb)

• staṃbhasya: of pride/rigidity
• staṃbhasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: staṃbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधानार्थ

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kālādhi-karaṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि=even

• prāpa: attained/received
• prāpa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; प्र-उपसर्ग

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• paraḥ: another/anyone else
• paraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Dharma (Dharma-deva)

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Stambhatīrtha
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride hardens into a ‘pillar’ that blocks grace; its karmic result manifests swiftly, even for the exalted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Stambhatīrtha is explicitly named and explained through its moral-etymological origin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is given; the verse provides the tīrtha’s name and the warning (phala) regarding arrogance.