Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अथ मारकतं लिंगं देवतावसरात्पितुः । चापल्याद्वालभावाच्चापहृत्य निहितं मया

Transliteration

atha mārakataṃ liṃgaṃ devatāvasarātpituḥ | cāpalyādvālabhāvāccāpahṛtya nihitaṃ mayā

Translation

അപ്പോൾ പൂജാസമയത്തെ അവസരമാക്കി, ബാലസഹജമായ ചാപല്യത്താൽ ഞാൻ പിതാവിന്റെ മരകതസദൃശ സ്ഫടിക ശിവലിംഗം മോഷ്ടിച്ച് ഒളിപ്പിച്ചു വെച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/then)

• मारकतं: emerald (green gem)
• मारकतं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मारकत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवतावसरात्: from the occasion/time of worship
• देवतावसरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता + अवसर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवतायाः अवसरः)

• पितुः: of (my) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• चापल्यात्: from fickleness
• चापल्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चापल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन

• बालभावात्: from childishness
• बालभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + भाव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बालस्य भावः)

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

• अपहृत्य: having stolen/taken away
• अपहृत्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘अपहृत्य’ = अपहृत्य (having taken away)

• निहितम्: kept/placed
• निहितम्: Karma (Object state/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘placed/kept’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Nāḍījaṃgha (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young boy stealthily removes a translucent, greenish-crystal Śiva-liṅga during the brief interval of worship, glancing around the quiet shrine, then hides it with mischievous secrecy.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred objects of worship must be treated with reverence; irreverent acts (aparādha) become causes for later karmic suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific tīrtha is not named; the verse focuses on a household/temple worship setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly references devatā-avasara (time of worship), but no direct ritual instruction is given.