Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

कृताश्रमः पूजयति सदा स्तंभेश्वरं मुनिः । सोऽप्येवं मामि वापृच्छन्मुनिं रोदनकारणम्

Transliteration

kṛtāśramaḥ pūjayati sadā staṃbheśvaraṃ muniḥ | so'pyevaṃ māmi vāpṛcchanmuniṃ rodanakāraṇam

Translation

ആ മുനി ആശ്രമധർമ്മങ്ങൾ നിർവ്വഹിച്ച് സദാ സ്തംഭേശ്വരനെ ആരാധിച്ചു. എന്നെ അങ്ങനെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, തപസ്വി സഹചാരിയെപ്പോലെ എന്റെ കരച്ചിലിന്റെ കാരണം ചോദിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• कृताश्रमः: one who has undertaken the āśrama (vow/stage)
• कृताश्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (कृतः आश्रमः यस्य/कृत-आश्रमः = आश्रमं कृतवान्)

• पूजयति: worships
• पूजयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (time adverb)

• स्तंभेश्वरम्: Stambheśvara (Lord of the pillar)
• स्तंभेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्तम्भस्य ईश्वरः)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक निपात (comparative particle)

• अपृच्छत्: asked
• अपृच्छत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुनिम्: the sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• रोदनकारणम्: the cause of weeping
• रोदनकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोदन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रोदनस्य कारणम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) describing the scene; the questioning is by another muni

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Stambheśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage in simple garments performs daily worship to a Śiva-liṅga named Stambheśvara—offering water, bilva leaves, and lamps—within a shrine marked by a prominent pillar (stambha) motif.

Characters & Entities

• Stambheśvara
• Śiva
• Muni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady worship of Śiva at a sacred site (Stambheśvara) and compassionate inquiry into another’s suffering are both marks of dhārmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Stambheśvara shrine (a Śiva-sthāna), presented as a place of continual worship and sacred presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular pūjā (worship) of Stambheśvara is highlighted, implying daily devotional observance.