Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

स्नात्वाभ्यर्च्यैव लिंगानि देवीश्चैवार्चयत्पृथक् । कृत्वा स्नानमुपोष्यैव बर्बरीकोंऽतिकेऽभवत्

Transliteration

snātvābhyarcyaiva liṃgāni devīścaivārcayatpṛthak | kṛtvā snānamupoṣyaiva barbarīkoṃ'tike'bhavat

Translation

സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ലിംഗങ്ങളെ അഭ്യർചിച്ചു; ദേവിമാരെയും വേർതിരിച്ച് അർച്ചിച്ചു. ഇങ്ങനെ സ്നാനവും ഉപവാസവും അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച് ബർബരീകന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ എത്തി.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), स्ना (to bathe)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-र्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), अभि-र्च् (to worship)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• देवीः: the goddesses
• देवीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• अर्चयत्: worshipped
• अर्चयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: अर्च् (to worship)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (separately)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), कृ (to do)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-वास् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), उप-वास् (to fast)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• बर्बरीकः: Barbarīka
• बर्बरीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्बरीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अन्तिके: near
• अन्तिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: भू (to be/become)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhamātā-kshetra (implied) with liṅga-sthānas

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn after fasting, Vijaya bathes, then offers flowers, bilva, incense to multiple liṅgas; separately he offers red flowers and lamps to the Devīs; afterward he walks to meet Barbarīka, who stands as a formidable, attentive figure.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅgas
• Devīs
• Barbarīka
• Snāna
• Upavāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity and balanced devotion to Śiva and Śakti together prepare the sādhaka for the next stage of practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī environment of liṅga-worship and Devī-upāsanā is emphasized as a practical field for disciplined rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing), liṅga-pūjā, separate Devī-pūjā, and upavāsa (fasting) as preparatory observances.