Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति तल्लिंगं साम्यभावमुपागतम् । धौतपाप्मा गतस्तीर्थं द्विजो लिंगनिरीक्षिणात्

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti talliṃgaṃ sāmyabhāvamupāgatam | dhautapāpmā gatastīrthaṃ dvijo liṃganirīkṣiṇāt

Translation

അന്നുമുതൽ ആ ലിംഗം സമത്വവും ശാന്തിഭാവവും പ്രാപിച്ചു; ലിംഗദർശനം മാത്രത്താൽ പാപം കഴുകപ്പെട്ട ദ്വിജൻ തീർത്ഥം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• प्रभृति: from (that time)
• प्रभृति: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (from/since; postposition-like)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• साम्यभावम्: a state of equality/normalcy
• साम्यभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• उपागतम्: having attained
• उपागतम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + उप-आ- (उपसर्ग) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of लिङ्गम्)

• धौतपाप्मा: one whose sin was washed away
• धौतपाप्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धौत (कृदन्त; √धाव्/√धौ (धातु) + क्त) + पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (whose sin is washed)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used verbally)

• तीर्थम्: to the sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• द्विजः: the Brahmin
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गनिरीक्षिणात्: from seeing the liṅga / due to the beholder of the liṅga
• लिङ्गनिरीक्षिणात्: Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + निरीक्षिन् (कृदन्त; √ईक्ष् (धातु) + निर्-उपसर्ग + णिनि/इन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; purāṇic narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Liṅga-tīrtha associated with Caṇḍālasthala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm, steady liṅga radiating balanced serenity; a twice-born pilgrim stands with folded hands, eyes fixed on the liṅga, a sense of inner cleansing and peace washing over him.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Tīrtha
• Dvija
• Pāpmā (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of the liṅga is presented as a direct purifier; sacred vision aligned with faith grants pāpa-kṣaya and access to tīrtha-merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya liṅga and its associated tīrtha are glorified, emphasizing pilgrimage benefit through liṅga-darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-darśana (beholding the liṅga) is highlighted as spiritually efficacious, implying a devotional pilgrimage act.