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

แท้จริงแล้ว ลึงค์ที่สถาปนาไว้เพียงหนึ่ง ย่อมเป็นการชดใช้บาปการฆ่าทารกในครรภ์ได้ถึงสิบครั้ง ดังนั้น โอ ภารตะ โสมะจึงได้สถาปนาลึงค์สามองค์

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.