Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पीठिका विष्णुरूपं स्याल्लिंगरूपी महेश्वरः । तस्माल्लिंगार्चनं श्रेष्ठं सर्वेषामपि वै द्विजाः

Transliteration

pīṭhikā viṣṇurūpaṃ syālliṃgarūpī maheśvaraḥ | tasmālliṃgārcanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ sarveṣāmapi vai dvijāḥ

Translation

পীঠিকা বিষ্ণুৰূপ, আৰু মহেশ্বৰ লিঙ্গৰূপ। সেয়ে, হে দ্বিজসকল, লিঙ্গাৰ্চনা সৰ্বসাধাৰণৰ বাবে নিশ্চয়েই শ্ৰেষ্ঠ।

Word by Word

• पीठिका: the pedestal/base
• पीठिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• विष्णु-रूपम्: of the form of Viṣṇu
• विष्णु-रूपम्: Pratipadyamāna (Predicate complement/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः रूपम्)

• स्यात्: may be/is (should be understood as)
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• लिङ्ग-रूपी: having the form of the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-रूपी: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य रूपी)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति निपातवत्; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that)

• लिङ्ग-अर्चनम्: worship of the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-अर्चनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; √अर्च् (धातु) ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य अर्चनम्)

• श्रेष्ठम्: best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Pratipadyamāna (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative-sense though nominative form)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāranātha Liṅga

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of a liṅga on its pīṭhikā: the pedestal subtly bears Viṣṇu motifs (śaṅkha-cakra) while the liṅga radiates Śiva’s presence; learned dvijas instruct pilgrims in proper arcana.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liṅga worship is praised as the highest practice, integrating Viṣṇu (as pīṭhikā) and Śiva (as liṅga) in a single act of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedāranātha, where liṅga worship is central to the tīrtha’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅgārcana (worship of the Śiva-liṅga) is explicitly recommended as the श्रेष्ठ (best) practice.