Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

निर्गुणं परमात्मानं विद्धि लिंगस्वरूपिणम् । परा शक्तिस्तथा ज्ञेया निर्गुणा शाश्वती सती

Transliteration

nirguṇaṃ paramātmānaṃ viddhi liṃgasvarūpiṇam | parā śaktistathā jñeyā nirguṇā śāśvatī satī

Translation

Wisse: Das höchste Selbst (Paramātman) ist nirguṇa, jenseits der Guṇas, und seine eigene Gestalt ist der Liṅga. Ebenso ist die höchste Kraft (Parā Śakti) als nirguṇa zu erkennen—ewig und immer wahrhaft.

Word by Word

• nirguṇam: quality-less
• nirguṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirguṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• paramātmānam: the Supreme Self
• paramātmānam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘supreme self’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• viddhi: know (you)
• viddhi: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• liṅga-svarūpiṇam: as having the liṅga as its form
• liṅga-svarūpiṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + sva-rūpin (स्वरूपिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘having liṅga as (one’s) own form’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (paramātmānam)

• parā: supreme
• parā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• śaktiḥ: power, Śakti
• śaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise, thus
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

• jñeyā: is to be known
• jñeyā: Kriyā (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + ya (य) (भाव्य/कर्तव्य)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थे ‘य’ प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• nirguṇā: quality-less
• nirguṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirguṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (śaktiḥ)

• śāśvatī: eternal
• śāśvatī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (śaktiḥ)

• satī: being, existent; true
• satī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक; from as ‘to be’ → sat)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण/विधेय (śaktiḥ)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continuing the teaching attributed to Nandin)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śuka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous liṅga at the center, not anthropomorphic, radiating subtle light; Vyāsa instructs Śuka, while an ethereal presence of Parā-Śakti is suggested as a halo or energy field—signifying nirguṇa yet present.

Characters & Entities

• Paramātman
• Liṅga
• Parā Śakti
• Satī (as 'ever-real', not necessarily the goddess-persona)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva as Liṅga symbolizes the transcendent, attribute-less Supreme; ultimate reality and its supreme power are beyond the three guṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kedāra-kṣetra, where Liṅga worship is central; the doctrine supports the mahātmya of worshipping Kedāreśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse provides the metaphysical basis for Liṅga-upāsanā (Liṅga worship).