Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

एवं शप्तो मया ब्रह्मन्रावणो लोकरावणः । अर्चितं केवलं लिंगं विना तेन महात्मना

Transliteration

evaṃ śapto mayā brahmanrāvaṇo lokarāvaṇaḥ | arcitaṃ kevalaṃ liṃgaṃ vinā tena mahātmanā

Translation

ดังนี้แล โอ้พราหมณ์ ราวณะ—ผู้ก่อทุกข์แก่โลก—ถูกข้าพเจ้าสาปแล้ว กระนั้นมหาตมะผู้นั้นก็บูชาเพียงศิวลึงค์เท่านั้น โดยปราศจาก (ปิฏฐะ/ฐานรองอันควร)

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: thus)

• शप्तः: cursed
• शप्तः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √शप् (धातु) → शप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (cursed)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Instrumental, Singular)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• लोकरावणः: terror of the worlds
• लोकरावणः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); उपाधि

• अर्चितम्: was worshipped
• अर्चितम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु) → अर्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (worshipped)

• केवलम्: only; merely
• केवलम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular); विशेषणम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• विना: without
• विना: Apādāna/Exclusion
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्ययम् (preposition: without; governs तृतीया)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular); विशेषणवत्

Speaker

Nandin (to the Devas/Suras)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahman interlocutor explicitly addressed (‘brahman’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa, despite being cursed, performs intense worship of a bare liṅga—without the proper base/adjunct—showing devotion but ritual incompleteness; the sage narrates with moral nuance.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Nandin
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even intense devotion can be ritually incomplete; Purāṇic dharma values both bhāva (devotion) and vidhi (right form) in worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedārnātha is the textual setting; the verse highlights liṅga-arcana themes central to Kedāra’s Śaiva identity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies proper liṅga worship should include the appropriate base/seat (pīṭhikā/yoni) rather than ‘liṅga alone’.