Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तत्र मारकतं लिंगमस्ति सूर्यसमप्रभम् । तदग्रे मृत्तिका चास्ति स्वर्णवर्णा सुनिर्मला

Transliteration

tatra mārakataṃ liṃgamasti sūryasamaprabham | tadagre mṛttikā cāsti svarṇavarṇā sunirmalā

Translation

അവിടെ സൂര്യസമാന പ്രഭയോടെ തിളങ്ങുന്ന മരകതവർണ്ണ ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്. അതിന്റെ മുന്നിൽ സ്വർണ്ണവർണ്ണമായ അത്യന്തം നിർമലമായ മൃത്തികയും ഉണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• मारकतम्: emerald (green)
• मारकतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मारकत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'emerald-like/emerald (green)' (qualifying लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'is'

• सूर्यसमप्रभम्: sun-like in radiance
• सूर्यसमप्रभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य + सम + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: सूर्येण समा प्रभा यस्य; 'having radiance equal to the sun'

• तदग्रे: in front of it
• तदग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः 'तस्य अग्रे' = 'in front of that'

• मृत्तिका: clay, earth
• मृत्तिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्वर्णवर्णा: golden-colored
• स्वर्णवर्णा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'gold-colored' (qualifying मृत्तिका)

• सुनिर्मला: very pure
• सुनिर्मला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग/उपपद-युक्त: 'very pure/spotless'

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mārakata-liṅga-guhā (emerald liṅga cave)

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hidden cavern sanctum: an emerald-green liṅga blazing like the sun, casting rays on cave walls; before it, a small mound of immaculate golden clay.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are marked by tangible signs of divine presence—here, a radiant liṅga and pure mṛttikā—inviting reverence and ritual purity.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A shrine-site within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa is being indicated; the verse highlights a specific liṅga-location and its consecrated clay, though the place-name is not given in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse signals ritual use of sacred clay (mṛttikā) associated with the liṅga, preparing for subsequent instructions on its devotional application.