Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अथ तुष्टो महादेवस्तस्य भक्त्यतिरेकतः । निर्भिद्य धरणीपृष्ठं तस्य लिंगमदर्शयत्

Transliteration

atha tuṣṭo mahādevastasya bhaktyatirekataḥ | nirbhidya dharaṇīpṛṣṭhaṃ tasya liṃgamadarśayat

Translation

তখন তার অতিরিক্ত ভক্তিতে তুষ্ট মহাদেব পৃথিবীর পৃষ্ঠ বিদীর্ণ করে তাকে নিজের লিঙ্গ প্রকাশ করে দেখালেন।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (discourse/temporal particle) — 'then'

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √तुष्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम् — 'pleased' (qualifying महादेवः)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम् — 'Mahādeva'

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम् — 'of him'

• भक्ति-अतिरेकतः: due to (his) great devotion
• भक्ति-अतिरेकतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अतिरेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे पञ्चमी (ablative of cause) — 'because of excess of devotion'

• निर्भिद्य: having split open
• निर्भिद्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), उपसर्गः निर्-, धातुः √भिद् (to split) — 'having split open'

• धरणीपृष्ठम्: the earth’s surface
• धरणीपृष्ठम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम् — 'the surface of the earth'

• तस्य: his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम् — 'his'

• लिंगम्: liṅga
• लिंगम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम् — 'liṅga'

• अदर्शयत्: showed/revealed
• अदर्शयत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) — 'caused to be seen/showed'

Speaker

Narrator (implied Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ground splits open with a radiant fissure; from within emerges a luminous liṅga as Mahādeva’s presence is felt—light, ash-white aura, and trembling earth; the devotee stands awestruck with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Śiva-liṅga
• earth (dharaṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense bhakti draws divine grace; the sacred manifests where devotion is steadfast.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A liṅga-manifestation narrative tied to the Nāgareśvara sacred setting within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s pilgrimage theology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it narrates the divine response to devoted liṅga-worship.