Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अग्निस्तंभमयं रूपमरुणादिरिति श्रुतम् । ध्यायंल्लिंगं मम बृहत्मन्दं कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम्

Transliteration

agnistaṃbhamayaṃ rūpamaruṇādiriti śrutam | dhyāyaṃlliṃgaṃ mama bṛhatmandaṃ kuryātpradakṣiṇam

Translation

มีคำเล่าขานในคัมภีร์ว่า รูปแห่ง (ภูเขาศักดิ์สิทธิ์นี้) เป็นดั่งเสาแห่งเพลิง จึงได้ชื่อว่า ‘อรุณาทรี’ เมื่อเพ่งภาวนาถึงลึงคะของเราแล้ว พึงเวียนประทักษิณาอย่างช้า ๆ ด้วยความเคารพ

Word by Word

• अग्निस्तम्भमयम्: made of a pillar of fire
• अग्निस्तम्भमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि + स्तम्भ + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; रूप-विशेषणम्; ‘अग्नि-स्तम्भ’ इति षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-आधारः, समस्ते तत्पुरुषः

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (it is said: the form is...)

• अरुणादिः: (that which is) beginning with Aruṇa
• अरुणादिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुण + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अरुणः आदिः यस्य’ इति (beginning with Aruṇa)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• श्रुतम्: is heard; is known (by tradition)
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘heard/known’

• ध्यायन्: meditating
• ध्यायन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्यय (present participle)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• बृहत्: great; vast
• बृहत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; मन्द-विशेषणम्

• मन्दम्: temple; shrine
• मन्दम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘मन्दिर’ अर्थे (temple)

• कुर्यात्: should do; should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण (act of circumambulation)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from ‘mama liṅgam’—‘my liṅga’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇādri / Aruṇācala

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal pillar of fire rising from the sacred hill, merging mountain and flame; devotees circumambulate slowly with folded hands, lamps, and ash marks, while the liṅga is envisioned as radiant within the hill.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Agni-stambha (pillar of fire)
• Aruṇādri/Aruṇācala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Aruṇācala is revered as Śiva’s fiery, cosmic manifestation; pilgrimage becomes effective when joined with meditation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala/Aruṇādri, identified with the agni-stambha form of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pradakṣiṇā slowly (manda) while meditating on Śiva’s liṅga.