Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अतीतं च तथागामि कुलानां तारयेच्छतम् । मृन्मयं काष्ठनिष्पन्नं पक्वेष्टं शैलमेव च

Transliteration

atītaṃ ca tathāgāmi kulānāṃ tārayecchatam | mṛnmayaṃ kāṣṭhaniṣpannaṃ pakveṣṭaṃ śailameva ca

Translation

అతీతమైనవీ, రాబోయేవీ—అటువంటి వంశాలలో శత వంశాలను అతడు తరింపజేస్తాడు. లింగం మట్టితో అయినా, చెక్కతో చేసినదైనా, కాల్చిన ఇటుకతో అయినా, రాతితో అయినా సరే.

Word by Word

• अतीतम्: past
• अतीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतीत (अत् + इ धातु-क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘past’ (qualifying an implied object, e.g., time/lineage)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• आगामि: future/that which is to come
• आगामि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आगामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘coming/future’ (qualifying an implied object)

• कुलानाम्: of families/lineages
• कुलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तारयेत्: should ferry across/save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• मृन्मयम्: made of clay
• मृन्मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘made of clay’

• काष्ठनिष्पन्नम्: made from wood
• काष्ठनिष्पन्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काष्ठ + निष्पन्न (निष्+पद् धातु-क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘produced from wood’

• पक्वेष्टम्: baked/fired
• पक्वेष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पक्व + इष्ट (इष् धातु-क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘baked/brick-like (fired)’

• शैलम्: stone/rock
• शैलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; अवधारण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāsena (Skanda)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble liṅga made of different materials shown in four vignettes—clay, wood, brick, stone—each receiving worship; behind, a lineage-tree with ancestors above and descendants below illuminated by Śiva’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Kula (lineage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-centered acts are said to uplift not only the individual but entire family lineages across time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and its trans-generational merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Acknowledgement of acceptable liṅga materials: clay, wood, baked brick, and stone.