Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

सिद्धाश्च मानसं नाम काममृत्युजरातिगम् । उंछजं च बलिर्लिंगं ज्ञानात्मेत्यस्य नाम च

Transliteration

siddhāśca mānasaṃ nāma kāmamṛtyujarātigam | uṃchajaṃ ca balirliṃgaṃ jñānātmetyasya nāma ca

Translation

يعبد السِّدْهَة لِنْغًا مولودًا من الذهن (مانَسَ) ويسمّونه «كامَمِرْتْيُوجَرَاتِيگَ»؛ المتجاوز للشهوة والموت والشيخوخة. ويعبد بالي لِنْغًا مصنوعًا من حبوبٍ مُلتقطة (أُمْچَجَ)، ويسمّيه «جْنَانَاتْمَن»؛ الذي جوهره المعرفة.

Word by Word

• siddhāḥ: the Siddhas
• siddhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• mānasam: (the liṅga called) Mānasa
• mānasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• nāma: named
• nāma: Viśeṣaṇa (Appositional/नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); नामनिर्देशार्थे

• kāmamṛtyujarātigam: transcending desire, death, and old age
• kāmamṛtyujarātigam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma + mṛtyu + jarā + atiga (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘atiga’ = ‘going beyond’

• uṃchajam: produced from uṃcha (gleaning)
• uṃchajam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uṃcha + ja (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘born of uṃcha’ (uṃcha = gleaning/collection)

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

• baliḥ: Bali
• baliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• jñānātmā: Jñānātmā
• jñānātmā: Viśeṣya (Name/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna + ātmā (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); इति-पूर्वपदेन नामरूपेण निर्देशः

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

• asya: of this; its
• asya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव; सर्वनाम

• nāma: (is) the name
• nāma: Pradhāna (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa default attribution

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmamṛtyujarātiga-liṅga (mānasa) and Jñānātman-liṅga (uṃchaja)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Siddhas in tranquil meditation offer a radiant mind-formed liṅga in a luminous inner space; Bali, humble yet regal, offers a liṅga shaped from gleaned grains, signifying dharmic simplicity and knowledge-centered devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhas
• Bali
• Śiva
• Kāmamṛtyujarātiga
• Jñānātman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is attainable through inner worship (mānasa) and through humble offerings; He is the knowledge-essence who grants transcendence over desire, death, and decay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No external tīrtha is specified; the verse highlights inward sanctity and the dharmic power of simple, honest offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-japa tied to two modes of worship: mental liṅga worship with ‘Kāmamṛtyujarātiga’, and uṃchaja-liṅga worship with ‘Jñānātman’.