Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 106

Devanagari script

विष्णुनापि निहत्याजौ रावणं पयसांनिधेः । तीरे रामेश्वरं लिंगं स्थापितं चास्ति किं मुधा

Transliteration

viṣṇunāpi nihatyājau rāvaṇaṃ payasāṃnidheḥ | tīre rāmeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ sthāpitaṃ cāsti kiṃ mudhā

Translation

即使毗湿奴——战中诛灭罗波那之后——也在大海之滨安立罗摩湿伐罗林伽。难道那是徒然之举吗？

Word by Word

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana (Instrument/करण) / Karta (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्यय (also/even)

• निहत्य: having killed
• निहत्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having slain’

• आजौ: in battle
• आजौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘अज’ = युद्ध (battle)

• रावणम्: Rāvaṇa
• रावणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पयसाम्: of waters
• पयसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• निधेः: of the ocean (treasury)
• निधेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘पयसां-निधि’ = समुद्र

• तीरे: on the shore
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• रामेश्वरम्: Rāmeśvara (named)
• रामेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रामस्य ईश्वरः) नामरूपेण

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

• स्थापितम्: was established
• स्थापितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्ति: is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• किम्: why?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• मुधा: in vain
• मुधा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्या/व्यर्थता-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in vain)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the seashore, the hero (Rāma/Viṣṇu aspect) stands with bow set aside, installing a liṅga; waves roll behind, devotees and vānaras watch, and the liṅga is bathed with ocean-water in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Rāvaṇa
• Ocean (payasāṃ-nidhi)
• Rāmeśvara liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest divine powers honor Śiva through liṅga स्थापना, showing unity of dharma and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvara (Rāmeśvaram) on the ocean shore is explicitly highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sthāpana (establishing) of the Rāmeśvara liṅga is cited as a precedent-setting sacred act.