Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 163

Devanagari script

सारस्वतो वाचिलंगं नाम वागीश्वरेति च । गणा मूर्तिमयं लिंगं नाम रुद्रेति चाब्रुवन्

Transliteration

sārasvato vācilaṃgaṃ nāma vāgīśvareti ca | gaṇā mūrtimayaṃ liṃgaṃ nāma rudreti cābruvan

Translation

Sārasvata schuf den Liṅga „Vācila“ und nannte ihn „Vāgīśvara“ (Herr der Rede). Die Gaṇas schufen einen in Gestalt verkörperten Liṅga und verkündeten seinen Namen als „Rudra“.

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata (a deity/person)
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण (as subject)

• वाचि-लिङ्गम्: the speech-related liṅga
• वाचि-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाचि (अव्यय/उपपद) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (locative-dependent determinative)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Name-apposition
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/‘by name’)

• वागीश्वर-इति: “Vāgīśvara” (thus)
• वागीश्वर-इति: Name/Quotation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वागीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-प्रयोगः (quotative particle); वागीश्वर-शब्दः उद्धृत-नाम (quoted name)

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

• गणाः: the gaṇas
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मूर्ति-मयम्: made of form/embodiment
• मूर्ति-मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Name-apposition
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/‘by name’)

• रुद्र-इति: “Rudra” (thus)
• रुद्र-इति: Name/Quotation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-प्रयोगः; रुद्र-शब्दः उद्धृत-नाम (quoted name)

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

• अब्रुवन्: said/called
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sārasvata Ṛṣi fashions a liṅga and names it Vāgīśvara; nearby, Śiva’s gaṇas create a form-embodied liṅga and proclaim it Rudra, with a consecration-like solemnity.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Vāgīśvara
• Gaṇāḥ
• Rudra
• Śiva (Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the source of sacred speech and all manifested forms; worship aligns one’s word and being with Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights divine epithets rather than naming a specific pilgrimage location in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the focus is on consecration and naming of liṅgas.