Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 181

Devanagari script

देवेन च वरो दत्तस्त्वल्लिंगं योऽर्चयिष्यति । जितेन्द्रियः शुचिर्भूत्वा ऊर्ध्वं मल्लोकमेष्यति

Transliteration

devena ca varo dattastvalliṃgaṃ yo'rcayiṣyati | jitendriyaḥ śucirbhūtvā ūrdhvaṃ mallokameṣyati

Translation

ദേവൻ ഈ വരം നൽകി—ശുചിയായി ഇന്ദ്രിയനിഗ്രഹത്തോടെ നിന്റെ ലിംഗത്തെ ആരാധിക്കുന്നവൻ മേലോട്ട് എന്റെ ലോകത്തെ പ്രാപിക്കും।

Word by Word

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वरः: a boon
• वरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• दत्तः: given
• दत्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वरः’ इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• त्वत्-लिङ्गम्: your liṅga (emblem)
• त्वत्-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्वत् = तव)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• अर्चयिष्यति: will worship
• अर्चयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जितेन्द्रियः: having conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (जि धातु + क्त, कृदन्त) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (जितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य)

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Adhikarana (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• मत्-लोकम्: my world
• मत्-लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मत् = मम)

• एष्यति: will go/attain
• एष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) reporting Śiva’s boon (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-liṅga (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (outer frame) / interlocutor within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Mahākāla) granting a boon: a radiant liṅga at the center, a devotee in austere purity with folded hands; upward path of light symbolizing ascent to Śiva’s world.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Mahākāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liṅga-worship joined with inner purity and self-mastery leads to liberation-oriented attainment—reaching Śiva’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The liṅga associated with Mahākāla and Śiva-sthāna is praised as a gateway to Śiva-loka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) of the liṅga, along with śauca (purity) and jitendriyatā (sense-control).