Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तत्र विंशतिसंस्कारास्तेषामष्टाधिकाभवन् । कथिताः शंकरेणैव लिंगस्याचनसूचकाः

Transliteration

tatra viṃśatisaṃskārāsteṣāmaṣṭādhikābhavan | kathitāḥ śaṃkareṇaiva liṃgasyācanasūcakāḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ഇരുപത് സംസ്കാരങ്ങൾ പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; പിന്നെ എട്ട് കൂടി ചേർന്ന് ആകെ ഇരുപത്തെട്ടായി. ലിംഗാരാധനയുടെ യഥോചിത സൂചനകളായി അവയെ ശങ്കരൻ തന്നേ ഉപദേശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

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

• विंशति-संस्काराः: twenty rites
• विंशति-संस्काराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (विंशतिः संस्काराः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अष्ट-अधिकाः: eight more (in addition)
• अष्ट-अधिकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अष्टभिः अधिकाः = eight more)

• अभवन्: were/occurred
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथिताः: were told/declared
• कथिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय

• शङ्करेण: by Śaṅkara
• शङ्करेण: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• आचन-सूचकाः: indicators of ablution (bathing rites)
• आचन-सूचकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आचन + सूचक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आचनस्य सूचकाः = indicating bathing/ablution)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), reporting Śaṅkara’s teaching (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara as the supreme teacher instructs sages/attendants in a counted set of liṅga-saṃskāras; a ritual diagram-like atmosphere with offerings laid out in orderly rows.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Saṃskāra (rites)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion is disciplined: Śiva’s worship is upheld through defined rites that cultivate reverence, purity, and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not name a single site; it shifts from geography to the dharmic-ritual principles of liṅga worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A structured set of liṅga-related saṃskāras (rites), stated as twenty and then expanded to twenty-eight, taught by Śaṅkara as markers of proper veneration.