Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 165

Devanagari script

अश्विनौ मृन्मयं लिंगं नाम्ना चैव सुवेधसम् । विनायकः पिष्टलिंगं नाम्ना चापि कपर्दिनम्

Transliteration

aśvinau mṛnmayaṃ liṃgaṃ nāmnā caiva suvedhasam | vināyakaḥ piṣṭaliṃgaṃ nāmnā cāpi kapardinam

Translation

Die Aśvin-Zwillinge schufen einen Liṅga aus Ton und nannten ihn „Suvedhasa“ (der Hochweise). Vināyaka schuf einen Liṅga aus Paste und nannte ihn ebenfalls „Kapardin“ (der Herr mit verfilztem, gebundenem Haar).

Word by Word

• अश्विनौ: the Aśvins (twin gods)
• अश्विनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

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

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

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘नाम्ना’ = by the name (instrumental of naming)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सुवेधसम्: Suvedhas (a name/title)
• सुवेधसम्: Name (Apposition to liṅga)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम-रूपेण (as a name)

• विनायकः: Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• विनायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पिष्ट-लिङ्गम्: flour/paste-liṅga
• पिष्ट-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक (also)

• कपर्दिनम्: Kapardin (Śiva, ‘with matted hair’)
• कपर्दिनम्: Name (Apposition to liṅga)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपर्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम-रूपेण

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Aśvinī twins, radiant physicians of the gods, shape a clay liṅga named Suvedhasa; Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa) forms a paste-made liṅga and names it Kapardin, with matted-hair symbolism evoked.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvinau
• Vināyaka
• Suvedhasa
• Kapardin
• Śiva (Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Accessible materials like clay or paste can become sacred through devotion; divine names reveal Śiva’s qualities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This excerpt does not specify a location; it continues the enumeration of liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it describes the making and naming of liṅgas.