Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

ततः संस्थापितं लिंगं प्राग्जन्म स्मरता मया । ततः प्रभृति लिंगानि घृतेनाच्छादयाम्यहम्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃsthāpitaṃ liṃgaṃ prāgjanma smaratā mayā | tataḥ prabhṛti liṃgāni ghṛtenācchādayāmyaham

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് മുൻജന്മം സ്മരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; അന്നുമുതൽ ലിംഗങ്ങളെ നെയ്യാൽ മൂടി ആരാധിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/अनन्तरार्थक (thereupon/from that)

• संस्थापितम्: installed
• संस्थापितम्: Karma (Object predicate/कर्म-विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) → संस्थापित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति विधेय-विशेषण (set up/installed)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• प्राग्जन्म: in a former birth
• प्राग्जन्म: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (प्राक् + जन्म); अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/before birth i.e., in a previous birth)

• स्मरता: by (me) remembering
• स्मरता: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मरत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; ‘मया’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (by me, remembering)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (thereafter)

• प्रभृति: from then on
• प्रभृति: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भबोधक (from that time onward)

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

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• आच्छादयामि: I cover
• आच्छादयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-छद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा; एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (first-person devotee)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king/devotee installs a Śiva-liṅga with ritual vessels; thereafter he repeatedly anoints and covers multiple liṅgas with ghee, creating a shining sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Ghṛta (ghee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembered grace becomes disciplined practice: past merit inspires steady, lifelong (and multi-life) worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; the focus is on liṅga installation and devotional observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (establishing a liṅga) and ghṛta-ācchādana—covering/adorning the liṅga with ghee as worship.