Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

स्तंभेन सह निर्दग्धं तल्लिंगं शकलीकृतम् । दृष्ट्वा वेश्या च वैश्यश्च दुरंतं दुःखमापतुः

Transliteration

staṃbhena saha nirdagdhaṃ talliṃgaṃ śakalīkṛtam | dṛṣṭvā veśyā ca vaiśyaśca duraṃtaṃ duḥkhamāpatuḥ

Translation

സ്തംഭത്തോടുകൂടെ ദഗ്ധമായി തകർന്നുകിടന്ന ആ ലിംഗം കണ്ടപ്പോൾ വേശ്യയും വൈശ്യനും സഹിക്കാനാവാത്ത ദുഃഖത്തിൽ മുങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• स्तम्भेन: by/with the pillar
• स्तम्भेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहचर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सह-प्रयोगे तृतीयासहचर (with)

• निर्दग्धम्: burnt
• निर्दग्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√दह् (धातु) + दग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (burnt)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (that)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शकलीकृतम्: made into fragments
• शकलीकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शकल (प्रातिपदिक) + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘शकलानि कृतानि’ (broken into pieces)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वेश्या: the courtesan
• वेश्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वैश्यः: the vaiśya (merchant)
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• दुरन्तम्: unbearable
• दुरन्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (hard to bear)

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आपतुः: they two met/experienced
• आपतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; (they two) fell into/encountered

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shattered Śiva-liṅga and its pedestal, charred and fragmented; a courtesan and a merchant-leader stand before it in stunned grief, hands raised in lament, ash and smoke lingering in the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (as Śiva-liṅga)
• Vaiśya
• Veśyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harm done to sacred objects associated with Śiva leads to intense remorse and suffering, urging reverence (bhakti) and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this excerpt; the focus is on the sanctity of the Śiva-liṅga itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; it narrates the consequence and emotional shock upon seeing the damaged Liṅga.