Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अचलत्वात्तथा देव लिंगानां शास्त्रसद्भयात् । अन्यदुत्पाटनाद्यं च नैव कुर्मः कथंचन

Transliteration

acalatvāttathā deva liṃgānāṃ śāstrasadbhayāt | anyadutpāṭanādyaṃ ca naiva kurmaḥ kathaṃcana

Translation

ولأن تلك اللِّنگات غيرُ قابلةٍ للتحريك، أيها الإله، ولِخوفٍ تقيٍّ من الشاسترا فيما يخصّ اللِّنگا، فإننا لا نُقدِمُ البتّة على تدابيرَ أخرى كاقتلاعها.

Word by Word

• अचलत्वात्: because of immovability
• अचलत्वात्: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचलत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/so)

• देव: O god
• देव: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• लिङ्गानाम्: of the liṅgas
• लिङ्गानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शास्त्रसद्भयात्: from the proper fear of scripture (scriptural injunctions)
• शास्त्रसद्भयात्: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र + सत् + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समासः (शास्त्रे सत् भयम्/शास्त्रसम्बन्धि सत् भयम्)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्पाटनाद्यम्: such as uprooting and the like
• उत्पाटनाद्यम्: कर्म (Object/apposition to अन्यत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत् + पाट् (धातु) → उत्पाटन (कृदन्त/भाव-प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (उत्पाटनम् आदिः यस्य तत्)

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

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• कुर्मः: we do
• कुर्मः: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कथंचन: in any manner
• कथंचन: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: in any way/at all)

Speaker

Local devotees/attendants addressing Rudra (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Deva (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees/attendants stand before immovable liṅgas, tools set aside; their hands folded in hesitation, indicating reverent fear of śāstric transgression.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (Rudra/Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires restraint: even when danger is perceived, one must act within śāstric boundaries regarding sacred installations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 106), focused on safeguarding a local sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoidance of utpāṭana (uprooting/removal) of liṅgas due to śāstric injunctions; the narrative seeks an alternative remedy.