Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारिव्रतं यस्मादहं सततमास्थितः । इत्युक्त्वाभ्यर्च्य तल्लिंगं प्रणिपत्य च दण्डवत्

Transliteration

brahmacārivrataṃ yasmādahaṃ satatamāsthitaḥ | ityuktvābhyarcya talliṃgaṃ praṇipatya ca daṇḍavat

Translation

‘ഞാൻ സദാ ബ്രഹ്മചര്യവ്രതത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരനായിരിക്കുന്നു’ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു, അവൻ ആ ലിംഗത്തെ അർച്ചിച്ചു ദണ്ഡവത് പ്രണാമം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारिव्रतम्: the vow of celibate-studentship
• ब्रह्मचारिव्रतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारि (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मचारिणः व्रतम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, एकवचनम्, द्वितीया — Accusative singular

• यस्मात्: because (of which)
• यस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्गे; एकवचनम्, पञ्चमी — Ablative singular ‘because/from which’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा — Nominative singular

• सततम्: always/constantly
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb)

• आस्थितः: having undertaken (it)
• आस्थितः: Kriya (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त); पुंलिङ्गम्, एकवचनम्, प्रथमा — ‘having undertaken/observing’, nominative singular

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-अव्ययम् (quotative)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तम् (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having said’

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्षम् (gerund) — ‘having worshipped’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, एकवचनम्, द्वितीया — Accusative singular (qualifying ‘liṅgam’)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, एकवचनम्, द्वितीया — Accusative singular

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नि + पत् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (gerund) — ‘having bowed down’

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

• दण्डवत्: like a staff (flat, fully prostrate)
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त-निपातवत्)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘like a staff’, i.e., fully stretched)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The hero, having declared lifelong brahmacarya, performs worship to the liṅga and then lies fully prostrate, body straight like a staff, in complete surrender.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Brahmacarya-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast brahmacarya, combined with humble liṅga-worship and full prostration, is presented as a powerful foundation for spiritual accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse focuses on liṅga-worship within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative; a specific named tīrtha is not explicit in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-abhyarcana (worship) followed by daṇḍavat-praṇāma (full prostration).