Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

रामसेतौ महापुण्ये महापातकनाशने । रामप्रतिष्ठितं लिगं रामनाथं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

rāmasetau mahāpuṇye mahāpātakanāśane | rāmapratiṣṭhitaṃ ligaṃ rāmanāthaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

“രാമസേതുവിൽ— മഹാപുണ്യപ്രദവും മഹാപാതകനാശകവുമായിടത്ത്— രാമൻ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ച ലിംഗമുണ്ട്; ആ മഹേശ്വരൻ ‘രാമനാഥൻ’।”

Word by Word

• राम-सेतौ: at Rāma’s bridge
• राम-सेतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — ‘at Rāma’s bridge’

• महापुण्ये: most holy
• महापुण्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — ‘very holy’ (सेतौ इति विशेषणम्)

• महापातक-नाशने: destroying great sins
• महापातक-नाशने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — ‘destroyer of great sins’ (सेतौ इति विशेषणम्)

• राम-प्रतिष्ठितम्: established by Rāma
• राम-प्रतिष्ठितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; प्रति-स्था धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — ‘established by Rāma’ (लिङ्गम् इति विशेषणम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• राम-नाथम्: Rāmanātha
• राम-नाथम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — ‘having Rāma as lord’ / ‘Rāma’s lord’ (लिङ्गम् इति विशेषणम्)

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — ‘the great Lord’ (लिङ्गम् इति विशेषण/नाम)

Speaker

A bodiless divine voice (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmasetu; Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous coastal sacredscape: the bridge-like chain over the sea, pilgrims approaching, and the Rāmanātha liṅga enshrined—evoking Rāma’s establishment of Śiva at the ocean’s edge.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmasetu
• Rāma
• Liṅga
• Rāmanātha
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places anchored by divine acts (Rāma’s स्थापना) become powerful centers where devotion to Śiva dissolves even great karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmasetu is explicitly praised, with the Rāmanātha liṅga (Rāmeśvaram Shaiva focus) highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse establishes the object and locus of worship—Rāmanātha-liṅga at Rāmasetu—preparing for the detailed sevā regimen.