Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 144

Devanagari script

श्रृणुध्वं यदि पापानामिच्छध्वं क्षालनं परम् । ब्रह्मा हाटकलिंगं च समाराध्य कपर्दिनः

Transliteration

śrṛṇudhvaṃ yadi pāpānāmicchadhvaṃ kṣālanaṃ param | brahmā hāṭakaliṃgaṃ ca samārādhya kapardinaḥ

Translation

പാപങ്ങളുടെ പരമ പ്രക്ഷാലനം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ കേൾക്കുക. ബ്രഹ്മാവ് സ്വർണ്ണ-ലിംഗത്തിൽ കപർദിൻ (ശിവൻ)നെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ആരാധിച്ച് ശുദ്ധി പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• śṛṇudhvam: listen (you all)
• śṛṇudhvam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तसूचक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• pāpānām: of sins
• pāpānām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• icchadhvam: you desire
• icchadhvam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• kṣālanam: washing away, cleansing
• kṣālanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣālana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘क्षालनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• hāṭaka-liṅgam: the golden liṅga
• hāṭaka-liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāṭaka (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘हाटकस्य लिङ्गम्’ (golden liṅga)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• samārādhya: having worshipped/propitiated
• samārādhya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-rādh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• kapardinaḥ: of Kapardin (Śiva)
• kapardinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapardin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; शिवस्य नाम

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakaliṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced, performs formal worship to a radiant golden liṅga; Śiva as Kapardin is suggested by matted locks iconography in a subtle theophany; the verse is an invitation to listeners seeking sin-cleansing.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kapardin (Śiva)
• Hāṭaka-liṅga (golden liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme purification is attained through devoted worship of Śiva, exemplified even by Brahmā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific named liṅga (Hāṭaka-liṅga) is praised, but the verse does not provide a geographic tīrtha name in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samārādhana (formal worship) of Śiva at a liṅga is presented as a means for pāpa-kṣaya (removal of sins).