Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ततो मार्गस्य शून्यत्वात्तृट्क्षुधापीडितौ भृशम् । आस्तां विचेतनौ विप्रौ सिद्धलिंगसमीपतः

Transliteration

tato mārgasya śūnyatvāttṛṭkṣudhāpīḍitau bhṛśam | āstāṃ vicetanau viprau siddhaliṃgasamīpataḥ

Translation

വഴി ശൂന്യമായതിനാൽ ആ രണ്ടു ബ്രാഹ്മണർ ദാഹവും വിശപ്പും കൊണ്ട് അത്യന്തം പീഡിതരായി. സിദ്ധലിംഗത്തിന്റെ സമീപത്ത് അവർ ബോധംകെട്ട് കിടന്നു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (from there/thereupon)

• मार्गस्य: of the path
• मार्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• शून्यत्वात्: because of emptiness/desolation
• शून्यत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शून्यत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• तृट्-क्षुधा-पीडितौ: afflicted by thirst and hunger
• तृट्-क्षुधा-पीडितौ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृट् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण—‘विप्रौ’; अर्थः ‘तृष्णया क्षुधया च पीडितौ’

• भृशम्: greatly, severely
• भृशम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक-अव्यय (intensifier adverb)

• आस्ताम्: they stayed/remained
• आस्ताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘अतिष्ठताम्/अवस्थितौ’

• विचेतनौ: unconscious, senseless
• विचेतनौ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण—‘विप्रौ’

• विप्रौ: the two brāhmaṇas
• विप्रौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• सिद्ध-लिङ्ग-समीपतः: near Siddhaliṅga
• सिद्ध-लिङ्ग-समीपतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत्—‘सिद्धलिङ्गस्य समीपात्/समीपे’ (near Siddhaliṅga)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhaliṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A barren, empty road under harsh sun; two brāhmaṇas collapse from thirst and hunger beside a solitary Siddhaliṅga—stone liṅga under a tree or small shrine—suggesting silent divine presence.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhaliṅga
• two brāhmaṇas (viprau)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-yātrā may test the body through hardship, yet proximity to a liṅga-sthala becomes a refuge and turning point.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddhaliṅga, presented as a significant sacred point along the route.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes the pilgrims’ ordeal and their arrival near the liṅga.