Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

कपालेश्वरमित्येव लिंगं पापापहं शुभम् । शक्तिं च तामभिष्टूय स्थापयामास तत्र च

Transliteration

kapāleśvaramityeva liṃgaṃ pāpāpahaṃ śubham | śaktiṃ ca tāmabhiṣṭūya sthāpayāmāsa tatra ca

Translation

ลึงค์อันเป็นมงคลและทำลายบาปนั้น มีนามว่า ‘กปาเลศวร’ ครั้นสรรเสริญศักตินั้นแล้ว ท่านก็ได้ประดิษฐานพระนางไว้ ณ ที่นั้นด้วย

Word by Word

• कपालेश्वरम्: Kapāleśvara (name)
• कपालेश्वरम्: Karma (Apposition to liṅga/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (इति-उद्धरणे नामरूपम्; लिङ्गम् इत्यस्य विशेषण-नाम); समासः: तत्पुरुषः (कपालानाम् ईश्वरः/कपालस्य ईश्वरः)

• इति: thus, called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: उद्धरण-निपातः (quotative particle)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (accusative) एकवचनम्

• पाप-अपहम्: sin-removing
• पाप-अपहम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अपह (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; समासः: तत्पुरुषः (पापम् अपहन्ति इति/पापस्य अपहः = sin-removing)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (accusative) एकवचनम् (लिङ्गम्-विशेषणम्)

• शक्तिम्: Śakti
• शक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (accusative) एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Coordination/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: समुच्चयबोधकः (conjunction)

• ताम्: her/that (Śakti)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (accusative) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• अभिष्टूय: having praised
• अभिष्टूय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive); धातुः: √स्तु (to praise) उपसर्गः: अभि-; अर्थः: ‘having praised’

• स्थापयामास: installed
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: लिट्-लकारः; परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; causative of √स्था

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (locative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Coordination/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: समुच्चयबोधकः (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Kapāleśvara liṅga shines auspiciously; Skanda (or the consecrator) offers hymns to Śakti and establishes her shrine beside the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Kapāleśvara (Śiva-liṅga)
• Śakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva and Śakti are honored together; their worship at a consecrated sthala is portrayed as a powerful means of sin-removal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara—the named Liṅga-sthala associated with Śakti’s manifestation—is explicitly glorified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stuti (praise) of Śakti and establishment of her presence alongside the Kapāleśvara Liṅga.