Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

यथायथा श्रद्धयासौ तल्लिंगं परिपश्यति । तथातथा विमुच्येत दोषैर्जन्मशतोद्भवैः

Transliteration

yathāyathā śraddhayāsau talliṃgaṃ paripaśyati | tathātathā vimucyeta doṣairjanmaśatodbhavaiḥ

Translation

അവൻ എത്ര എത്ര ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ആ ലിംഗത്തെ ദർശിക്കുന്നുവോ, അത്ര അത്രയായി നൂറുകണക്കിന് ജന്മങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന ദോഷങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यथा-यथा: as…as (in whatever manner)
• यथा-यथा: Sambandha (Correlation/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः) — correlating adverb ‘as…so…’

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — feminine instrumental singular

• असौ: he (that person)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — demonstrative pronoun ‘this/he’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-determiner/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद) — neuter accusative singular ‘that’ (as determiner)

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

• तल्लिङ्गम्: that liṅga
• तल्लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/निर्देशक-समास (तत् लिङ्गम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• परिपश्यति: beholds/sees
• परिपश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + पश्य् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — present indicative, 3rd sg, active

• तथा-तथा: so…so (accordingly)
• तथा-तथा: Sambandha (Correlation/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः) — correlating adverb ‘so…so…’

• विमुच्येत: would be released
• विमुच्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-भावः — optative, 3rd sg, middle ‘would be freed’

• दोषैः: by/from faults
• दोषैः: Hetu/Instrument (Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — masculine instrumental plural

• जन्मशतोद्भवैः: arising from hundreds of births
• जन्मशतोद्भवैः: Hetu/Instrument (Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म + शत + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी/सप्तमीभावः): ‘जन्मशतेषु उद्भवाः’ = arising from a hundred births; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — masculine instrumental plural (agreeing with दोषैः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla Liṅga at Babhru-pāvana tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s gaze meets the Mahākāla Liṅga; behind him faint translucent layers symbolize ‘hundreds of births’ dissolving like mist as faith intensifies.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The fruit of darśana is proportional to one’s faith; sincere reverence accelerates karmic purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s praised liṅga at Guptakṣetra (Mahīsāgara-saṅgama context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-darśana (reverent beholding/visiting the liṅga) with śraddhā.