Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

लिङ्गं प्रतिष्ठितं ह्येकं दशभ्रूणहनं भवेत् । अतो लिङ्गत्रयं सोमः स्थापयामास भारत

Transliteration

liṅgaṃ pratiṣṭhitaṃ hyekaṃ daśabhrūṇahanaṃ bhavet | ato liṅgatrayaṃ somaḥ sthāpayāmāsa bhārata

Translation

Sesungguhnya, satu liṅga yang dipratiṣṭhākan dapat menjadi penebus bagi sepuluh dosa pembunuhan janin. Oleh itu, wahai Bhārata, Soma telah mendirikan tiga liṅga.

Word by Word

• लिङ्गम्: a liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object complement/कर्मसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दशभ्रूणहनम्: (equal to) slaying ten embryos (a grave sin)
• दशभ्रूणहनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश + भ्रूण + हन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्राय तत्पुरुष (दशानां भ्रूणानां हननम्/हन्तृ)

• भवेत्: would be, becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Reason marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/तस्मात्-अर्थ (therefore)

• लिङ्गत्रयम्: three liṅgas
• लिङ्गत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (त्रयाणि लिङ्गानि)

• सोमः: Soma (the Moon)
• सोमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्थापयामास: established, caused to be set up
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) (णिच् causative: स्थापय-)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa (deduced, addressing Bhārata/Pāṇḍava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Soma-sthāpita Liṅga-traya (three liṅgas established by Soma)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (Bhārata)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Soma, seeking expiation, commissions and establishes three Śiva-liṅgas; priests perform consecration rites with water, bilva leaves, lamps, and Vedic/Paurāṇic chants.

Characters & Entities

• Soma (Moon)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Bhārata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Constructive dharmic acts—like consecrating a liṅga with devotion—are portrayed as powerful remedies even for the gravest moral stains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Soma-nātha-linked sacred geography in this Revā Khaṇḍa passage, where Soma’s liṅga establishments are central to the site’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation/consecration of a Śiva-liṅga) is explicitly presented as a major act of prāyaścitta; Soma is said to have installed three liṅgas.