Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

स्तंभतीर्थमिति ख्यातं स्तम्भो गर्वः कृतो यतः । स्तंभस्य हि फलं सद्यो ब्रह्मापि प्राप किं परः

Transliteration

staṃbhatīrthamiti khyātaṃ stambho garvaḥ kṛto yataḥ | staṃbhasya hi phalaṃ sadyo brahmāpi prāpa kiṃ paraḥ

Translation

ที่นั้นจักเป็นที่รู้จักว่า “สตัมภะตีรถะ” เพราะได้ทำความหยิ่งผยอง (ครวะ) ให้เป็นดุจเสา (สตัมภะ) ณ ที่นั้น ผลแห่งความทะนงย่อมบังเกิดฉับพลัน—แม้พระพรหมยังประสบ แล้วผู้อื่นจะกล่าวอย่างไร

Word by Word

• staṃbha-tīrtham: the Staṃbha-tīrtha
• staṃbha-tīrtham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: staṃbha (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्तम्भस्य तीर्थम्)

• iti: thus/called
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• khyātam: is known
• khyātam: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khyāta (कृदन्त; √khyā)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• stambhaḥ: pride/rigidity (stambha)
• stambhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stambha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• garvaḥ: arrogance
• garvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समानााधिकरण (apposition)

• kṛtaḥ: was made/was caused
• kṛtaḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• yataḥ: because/wherefrom
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतुवाचक (causal relative adverb)

• staṃbhasya: of pride/rigidity
• staṃbhasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: staṃbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधानार्थ

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kālādhi-karaṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि=even

• prāpa: attained/received
• prāpa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; प्र-उपसर्ग

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• paraḥ: another/anyone else
• paraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Dharma (Dharma-deva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Stambhatīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Overarching: Pāṇḍava; immediate: those present at the tīrtha episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred pillar rises near a tīrtha—simultaneously a physical marker and allegory of pride; Brahmā’s humbled figure is suggested as a cautionary exemplar.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Stambhatīrtha
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride hardens into a ‘pillar’ that blocks grace; its karmic result manifests swiftly, even for the exalted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Stambhatīrtha is explicitly named and explained through its moral-etymological origin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is given; the verse provides the tīrtha’s name and the warning (phala) regarding arrogance.