Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन शिवलिंगं प्रपूजयेत् । स्पर्शयेदीक्षयेन्नित्यं कीर्तयेच्च द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena śivaliṃgaṃ prapūjayet | sparśayedīkṣayennityaṃ kīrtayecca dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Darum soll man mit allem Eifer den Śiva-Liṅga verehren. O Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, man soll ihn täglich berühren, ihn schauen und ihn auch laut preisen.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Discourse connective (हेतु/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे/तस्मादर्थे (therefore)

• sarva-prayatnena: with all effort
• sarva-prayatnena: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarva + prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीयार्थे क्रियाविशेषण (with all effort)

• śiva-liṃgam: Śiva-liṅga
• śiva-liṃgam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Śivasya liṅgam)

• prapūjayet: should worship
• prapūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु) + pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sparśayet: should touch
• sparśayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: spṛś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) रूप (sparśayati ‘causes to touch’ → ‘touches’)

• īkṣayet: should behold
• īkṣayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• kīrtayet: should praise/recite
• kīrtayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrt (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) रूप (kīrtayati ‘causes to be praised’ → ‘praises/recites’)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• dvija-uttamāḥ: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-uttamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice addressing sages/brāhmaṇas within the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed audience of twice-born sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shrine scene: a dvija devotee approaches the Śiva-liṅga with offerings; one hand gently touches the liṅga, eyes fixed in darśana, mouth open in stotra; attendants hold lamps and flowers, emphasizing daily discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Complete devotion is expressed through body, sight, and speech—touching, seeing, and praising the liṅga daily.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya praising a particular Śiva-liṅga shrine/tīrtha (name not given in the snippet).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-liṅga prapūjā, daily sparśa (touch), īkṣaṇa (darśan), and kīrtana (praise/chanting).