Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ये दीपमालां कुर्वंति कार्तिक्यां श्रद्धयान्विताः । यावत्कालं प्रज्वलंति दीपास्ते लिंगमग्रतः । तावद्युगसहस्राणि दाता स्वर्गे महीयते

Transliteration

ye dīpamālāṃ kurvaṃti kārtikyāṃ śraddhayānvitāḥ | yāvatkālaṃ prajvalaṃti dīpāste liṃgamagrataḥ | tāvadyugasahasrāṇi dātā svarge mahīyate

Translation

جو لوگ ماہِ کارتک میں عقیدت کے ساتھ شِو لِنگ کے سامنے دیپوں کی مالا سجاتے ہیں—جتنی دیر وہ دیے جلتے رہیں، اتنے ہی ہزاروں یُگ تک وہ داتا سُورگ میں معزز رہتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• dīpa-mālām: a garland/row of lamps
• dīpa-mālām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दीपानां माला)

• kurvanti: make/do
• kurvanti: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• kārtikyām: in (the month of) Kārtika
• kārtikyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालवाचक (in the month/season of Kārtikī)

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• anvitāḥ: endowed (with)
• anvitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anvita (अन्वि/अनु-इ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त—'endowed/possessed'

• yāvat-kālam: for as long as
• yāvat-kālam: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/परिमाणवाचक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययार्थः—परिमाण/अवधि (as long as the time)

• prajvalanti: burn/blaze
• prajvalanti: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jval (ज्वल् धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• dīpāḥ: lamps
• dīpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• te: they/those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• liṅgam: (Śiva-)liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• agrataḥ: in front (of)
• agrataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agrataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: 'in front')

• tāvat: so long/that many
• tāvat: Sambandha (Correlative particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावदर्थक (correlative: 'so long/that much')

• yuga-sahasrāṇi: thousands of ages (yugas)
• yuga-sahasrāṇi: Karma (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-तत्पुरुषः (युगानां सहस्राणि = thousands of yugas)

• dātā: the giver/donor
• dātā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ (दा धातु, तृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृ-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक—'giver'

• svarge: in heaven
• svarge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• mahīyate: is honored
• mahīyate: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mah (मह् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—'is honored/is glorified'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Śiva-ālaya (general)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night in Kārttika: a long garland/row of lamps blazing before a Śiva-liṅga; devotees place lamps with folded hands; the temple courtyard glows like a constellation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kārttika
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful lamp-offering in Kārttika is praised as a powerful act yielding vast heavenly merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Śaiva sacred space is the backdrop, emphasizing worship before the Śiva-liṅga in a holy setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dīpamālā (rows/garlands of lamps) in Kārttika before the liṅga, with śraddhā (faith).