Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

लिंगेन सह पञ्चत्वं लिंगेन सह जीवितम् । एते धर्माः सुप्रतिष्ठाः शैलादेन प्रतिष्ठिताः

Transliteration

liṃgena saha pañcatvaṃ liṃgena saha jīvitam | ete dharmāḥ supratiṣṭhāḥ śailādena pratiṣṭhitāḥ

Translation

லிங்கத்தோடு பஞ்சத்துவம் (மரணம்), லிங்கத்தோடு வாழ்வும்; இவ்வாறு உறுதியாக நிலைபெற்ற தர்மங்களை ஷைலாதன் நிறுவினான்.

Word by Word

• liṅgena: with the liṅga
• liṅgena: Sahārtha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• saha: together with
• saha: Sambandha (Association marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (preposition/particle meaning 'with')

• pañcatvam: the state of five-ness (death/return to elements)
• pañcatvam: Karma/Pradhāna (Complement/प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañcatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• liṅgena: with the liṅga
• liṅgena: Sahārtha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• saha: together with
• saha: Sambandha (Association marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (particle)

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karma/Pradhāna (Complement/प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ete: these
• ete: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (demonstrative)

• dharmāḥ: duties/observances
• dharmāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• supratiṣṭhāḥ: well-established
• supratiṣṭhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + pratiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (agreeing with dharmāḥ)

• śailādena: by Śailāda
• śailādena: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śailāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• pratiṣṭhitāḥ: established
• pratiṣṭhitāḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Predicative/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-√sthā (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural (agreeing with dharmāḥ)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee holding a liṅga close to the heart while another scene shows the same liṅga present at the funeral threshold—life and death unified by the same sacred emblem; Śailāda stands as lawgiver of these dharmas.

Characters & Entities

• Śailāda
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Make Śiva (the liṅga) the axis of life and death; such steadfast devotion is presented as a stable dharma leading to spiritual firmness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region is implied as the setting where liṅga-centered dharma is celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general vow-like orientation is taught: to live and face death ‘with the liṅga’—i.e., under Śiva’s refuge—rather than a specific ceremony.