Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

दिव्येनाष्टविधेनात्र कोशः साधारणोऽत्र च । अघोराद्यैः पंचमंत्रैः स्नाप्य लिंगं महोज्जवलम्

Transliteration

divyenāṣṭavidhenātra kośaḥ sādhāraṇo'tra ca | aghorādyaiḥ paṃcamaṃtraiḥ snāpya liṃgaṃ mahojjavalam

Translation

هنا يُهَيَّأُ الإناءُ المُقَدَّسُ (الكوشا) بالموادِّ الإلهية الثمانية على ما جرت به العادة. ثم يُغسَلُ اللِّينغا المتلألئُ جدًّا بالمانترات الخمس المبتدئة بـ«أغورا»، فيتمّ الطقس.

Word by Word

• दिव्येन: with divine (means)
• दिव्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• अष्टविधेन: with the eightfold (method)
• अष्टविधेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular; (अष्ट प्रकाराः यस्य)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कोशः: sheath/covering (kośa)
• कोशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• साधारणः: common/general
• साधारणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (agreeing with कोशः)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

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

• अघोराद्यैः: with (mantras) beginning with Aghora
• अघोराद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघोर + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; (अघोरः आदिः येषाम्)

• पञ्चमन्त्रैः: with the five mantras
• पञ्चमन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; five mantras

• स्नाप्य: having bathed (it)
• स्नाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √स्ना (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) of causative स्नापयति; having bathed/washed (having caused to bathe)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• महोज्ज्वलम्: very splendid
• महोज्ज्वलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (महत् उज्ज्वलम्) accusative singular (agreeing with लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from continuing instruction style in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kumāreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied interlocutor of the chapter

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests prepare a consecration vessel with eight offerings; they pour streams of water/milk over a shining liṅga while chanting the Pañcabrahma mantras beginning with Aghora; the liṅga gleams intensely in lamplight.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Aghora Mantra
• Pañcamantṛa (five mantras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s worship becomes luminous and effective when performed with correct mantra and consecrated procedure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears; the focus is on liṅga-abhiṣeka procedure within the Purāṇic-Śaiva framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare a consecrated vessel with an eightfold set of sacred materials and bathe the Śiva-liṅga using the five mantras beginning with “Aghora”.