Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

इदं रत्नमयं शैवं लिंगं मत्प्राणसंनिभम् । रक्षणीयं त्वया कांते तस्य हानिर्मृतिर्मम

Transliteration

idaṃ ratnamayaṃ śaivaṃ liṃgaṃ matprāṇasaṃnibham | rakṣaṇīyaṃ tvayā kāṃte tasya hānirmṛtirmama

Translation

“ഈ രത്നമയ ശൈവ ലിംഗം എന്റെ പ്രാണത്തോളം പ്രിയമാണ്. ഹേ കാന്തേ, ഇതിനെ നീ കാത്തുസൂക്ഷിക്കണം; ഇതിന്റെ നഷ്ടം എനിക്ക് മരണസമം.”

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object indicated/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• रत्नमयम्: made of jewels
• रत्नमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गम्)

• शैवम्: Śaiva, pertaining to Śiva
• शैवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• मत्प्राणसंनिभम्: as dear as my life
• मत्प्राणसंनिभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण + संनिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गम्); तत्पुरुष-समास (मम प्राणैः संनिभम्/प्राणसदृशम्)

• रक्षणीयम्: must be protected
• रक्षणीयम्: Karya (Obligation/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: णीयत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/Future passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be protected)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; त्रितीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कान्ते: O beloved
• कान्ते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• हानिः: loss, destruction
• हानिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हानि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मृतिः: death
• मृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Vaiśya (merchant)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The merchant, intensely earnest, declares the gem liṅga as dear as his life and commands its protection; the emotional weight shifts from romance to devotional urgency.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti includes reverent care; negligence toward sacred trust is portrayed as spiritually catastrophic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it centers on Śaiva devotion through the liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A protective obligation (rakṣa) is enjoined—guarding the liṅga as a sacred duty.