Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

ततोऽहं ब्राह्मणगृहे जातो जातिस्मरः सुतः । स्नापनाच्छिवलिंगस्य सकृत्कमलपूजनात्

Transliteration

tato'haṃ brāhmaṇagṛhe jāto jātismaraḥ sutaḥ | snāpanācchivaliṃgasya sakṛtkamalapūjanāt

Translation

此后，我投生于婆罗门之家，成为能忆前生的儿子——因为我曾一次为湿婆林伽（Śiva-liṅga）沐浴，并以莲花供奉礼拜。

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: 'ततः/अनन्तरम्'

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री (सर्वनाम), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; pronoun nominative singular

• brāhmaṇa-gṛhe: in a Brahmin’s house
• brāhmaṇa-gṛhe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; 'ब्राह्मणस्य गृहे' इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; locative singular

• jātaḥ: born
• jātaḥ: Karta (Predicate of subject/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past passive participle used predicatively

• jāti-smaraḥ: one who remembers past births
• jāti-smaraḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक) + smara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'जातिं स्मरति' इति उपपद-तत्पुरुष (कर्मधार-भाव); adjective to 'aham/sutaḥ'

• sutaḥ: a son
• sutaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; nominative singular

• snāpanāt: from (the act of) bathing
• snāpanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāpana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; ablative singular (cause/source)

• śiva-liṅgasya: of the Śiva-liṅga
• śiva-liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; 'शिवस्य लिङ्गम्' इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; genitive singular

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; 'एकवारम्'

• kamala-pūjanāt: from worship with a lotus / lotus-worship
• kamala-pūjanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kamala (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; 'कमलेन पूजनम्/कमलस्य पूजनम्' इति तत्पुरुष; ablative singular (cause)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee pours sanctified water over a Śiva-liṅga and offers fresh lotuses; the merit ripens into a luminous rebirth in a brāhmaṇa household, with the child shown with a contemplative, knowing gaze (jātismara).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivaliṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single sincere act of Śiva-worship (abhiṣeka and offering) can yield profound karmic fruit, including auspicious rebirth and spiritual memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The merit is tied to Śivaliṅga worship; the verse itself does not name the tīrtha, but implies a sanctified Śaiva setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāpana/abhiṣeka of the Śivaliṅga and offering lotuses (kamala-pūjā), even performed once.