Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 144

Devanagari script

स्थापयेर्लिगमीशस्य मोक्षो हत्याशतैरपि । आविवेश महाक्रोधं दिधक्षुरिव मेदिनीम्

Transliteration

sthāpayerligamīśasya mokṣo hatyāśatairapi | āviveśa mahākrodhaṃ didhakṣuriva medinīm

Translation

ഈശ്വരന്റെ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിക്കുക—അപ്പോൾ നൂറുകണക്കിന് ഹത്യകൾ ഉണ്ടായാലും മോക്ഷം ലഭ്യമാണ്. (എങ്കിലും) അവനിൽ മഹാക്രോധം പ്രവേശിച്ചു, ഭൂമിയെ തന്നെ ദഹിപ്പിക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവനെപ്പോലെ।

Word by Word

• स्थापयेः: you should establish
• स्थापयेः: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; causative sense ‘cause to be set/establish’

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

• ईशस्य: of the Lord (Śiva)
• ईशस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karta (Subject of implied ‘is/occurs’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हत्याशतैः: by hundreds of killings (sins)
• हत्याशतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘hundreds of killings’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (शत-प्राधान्य), तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• आविवेश: entered, seized
• आविवेश: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग: आ-

• महाक्रोधम्: great wrath
• महाक्रोधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘great’ + ‘anger’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिधक्षुः: wishing to burn
• दिधक्षुः: Karta (Agent; compared)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (सन्-प्रत्यय; desiderative) ‘to wish to burn’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: as if, like
• इव: Sambandha (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमार्थक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa frame; likely Sūta reporting the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Īśvara-liṅga (generic; implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A liṅga is being established—stone pedestal, ritual vessels, bilva leaves, sacred ash. A divine/heroic figure is simultaneously shown with blazing wrath, as if the earth might burn—two energies: devotion and fury.

Characters & Entities

• Īśa (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Mokṣa
• Medinī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva devotion expressed through liṅga-pratiṣṭhā is portrayed as a powerful purifier, capable of leading toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific place-name is given in this verse; the merit centers on the act of installing Śiva’s liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installation/establishment of Śiva-liṅga) is indicated as an expiatory act connected with mokṣa.