Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

यस्तेषां मुखलिंगानां करोति घृतकंबलम् । मकरस्थेन सूर्येण शिवलोकं स गच्छति

Transliteration

yasteṣāṃ mukhaliṃgānāṃ karoti ghṛtakaṃbalam | makarasthena sūryeṇa śivalokaṃ sa gacchati

Translation

Wer für jene Mukha-Liṅgas einen „Ghee-Mantel“ (Bedeckung/Salbung mit geklärter Butter) darbringt — wenn die Sonne im Makara (Steinbock) steht — der gelangt in Shivas Welt.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मुखलिङ्गानाम्: of the mukha-liṅgas
• मुखलिङ्गानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

• करोति: makes, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• घृतकम्बलम्: a ghee-blanket (covering of ghee)
• घृतकम्बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत + कम्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (घृतेन/घृतस्य कम्बलः)

• मकरस्थेन: situated in Makara (Capricorn)
• मकरस्थेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मकर + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मकरे स्थितः); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘सूर्येण’)

• सूर्येण: by/with the Sun
• सूर्येण: Karana (Instrument/Time-marker/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिवलोकम्: Śiva’s world
• शिवलोकम्: Gati-karma (Destination/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य लोकः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गच्छति: goes, attains
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (narration of phala-śruti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mukha-liṅga tīrtha (within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee drapes/anoints Mukha-liṅgas with a shining layer of ghee during Makara-saṅkrānti; winter sun, lamps, and priests chanting; the liṅga faces gleam.

Characters & Entities

• Mukha-liṅga
• Śiva
• Makara (Capricorn)
• Sūrya (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seasonal worship aligned with sacred time (Makara) and heartfelt offerings to Śiva’s liṅgas lead to exalted spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mukha-liṅga cluster within the Adhyāya 103 kṣetra is glorified as a powerful locus of Śaiva merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing ghṛta-kaṃbala—covering/anointing the Mukha-liṅgas with clarified butter—specifically when the Sun is in Makara.