Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

नमस्कृत्य च तल्लिंगं गृहीत्वा मृत्तिकां च ताम् । आगंतव्यं स्तंभतीर्थे समाराध्य कुमारकम्

Transliteration

namaskṛtya ca talliṃgaṃ gṛhītvā mṛttikāṃ ca tām | āgaṃtavyaṃ staṃbhatīrthe samārādhya kumārakam

Translation

ಆ ಲಿಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ನಮಸ್ಕರಿಸಿ, ಆ ಪವಿತ್ರ ಮೃತ್ತಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡು, ಸ್ತಂಭತೀರ್ಥಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಮಾರಕ (ಸ್ಕಂದ)ನನ್ನು ವಿಧಿಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ಆರಾಧಿಸಬೇಕು.

Word by Word

• नमस्कृत्य: having bowed/saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); 'having saluted'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• तत्-लिङ्गम्: that liṅga
• तत्-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'that liṅga'

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); 'having taken'

• मृत्तिकाम्: the clay
• मृत्तिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• ताम्: that (clay)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• आगन्तव्यम्: one must come/return
• आगन्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/necessity), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'one must come/return'

• स्तम्भतीर्थे: at Staṃbha-tīrtha
• स्तम्भतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तीर्थ-नाम; 'at the Staṃbha-tīrtha'

• समाराध्य: having duly worshipped
• समाराध्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-अर्थे क्त्वान्त-प्रयोग (gerund sense); 'having duly worshipped/propitiated'

• कुमारकम्: Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमारकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'the young lord' (Kumāra/Skanda)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Stambha-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim bows to the emerald liṅga, carefully gathers a small portion of golden clay, then journeys to Stambha-tīrtha where Kumāraka is worshipped near a pillar-like emblem or sacred marker.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (liṅga)
• Kumāra/Skanda
• Stambha-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-yātrā is ordered devotion: reverence to Śiva, purity through sacred mṛttikā, and culminating worship of Kumāra.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Stambha-tīrtha is explicitly named as the next sanctified destination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer obeisance to the liṅga, collect the sacred clay, then go to Stambha-tīrtha to worship Kumāraka (Skanda).