Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

एवं नंदी महाभागो बहून्यब्दानि चार्च्चयत् । विजनस्थं तदा लिंगं नानाभोगसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

evaṃ naṃdī mahābhāgo bahūnyabdāni cārccayat | vijanasthaṃ tadā liṃgaṃ nānābhogasamanvitam

Translation

So verehrte der überaus glückselige Nandī viele Jahre lang. An jenem einsamen Ort stand der Liṅga, ausgestattet mit mannigfachen Gaben und heiligen Diensten.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-बोधक अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• नन्दी: Nandin
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाभागः: the very fortunate
• महाभागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नन्दी); समासः—महान्+भागः (कर्मधारयः)

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अब्दानि)

• अब्दानि: years
• अब्दानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• अर्चयत्: (he) worshipped
• अर्चयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विजनस्थम्: situated in a solitary place
• विजनस्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विजनस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्); समासः—विजन+स्थ (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘in a lonely place’)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-बोधक अव्यय (adverb: then)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नानाभोगसमन्वितम्: endowed with various enjoyments/benefits
• नानाभोगसमन्वितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना+भोग+समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्); समासः—नाना+भोग (कर्मधारयः) + समन्वित (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: ‘endowed with’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandī, the blessed attendant, worships year after year; the liṅga stands in a quiet, unpeopled sanctuary, surrounded by varied offerings and arranged services—lamps, garlands, vessels—suggesting uninterrupted ritual life.

Characters & Entities

• Nandī
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kedāra (implied kṣetra context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, long-term worship (niṣṭhā) sanctifies even remote places and makes them radiant with divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region’s secluded liṅga-shrine, central to the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sthala-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a single act but sustained arcana over years—continuous seva and offerings (bhoga) to the liṅga.