Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तस्माल्लिंगकृतो नाशो ब्राह्मणानां तपस्विनाम् । यथा न स्यात्सुरश्रेष्ठ तथा नीतिर्विधीयताम्

Transliteration

tasmālliṃgakṛto nāśo brāhmaṇānāṃ tapasvinām | yathā na syātsuraśreṣṭha tathā nītirvidhīyatām

Translation

Darum, o Bester der Götter, ordne einen rechten Weg des Handelns an, damit der von jenen Liṅgas bewirkte Untergang nicht über die Brāhmaṇas und die Asketen komme.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: हेतु/अपादान (Therefore/from that)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• लिङ्गकृतः: caused by the liṅga
• लिङ्गकृतः: विशेषण (Qualifier of नाशः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participial adjective: 'done/made'), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गेन कृतः)

• नाशः: destruction
• नाशः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तपस्विनाम्: of the ascetics
• तपस्विनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation; apposition to ब्राह्मणानाम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यथा: so that
• यथा: उद्देश्य/सम्बन्ध (Purpose relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conj./adverb: so that/as)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• स्यात्: may be/should occur
• स्यात्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां श्रेष्ठः)

• तथा: thus/in that way
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• नीतिः: policy/plan
• नीतिः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विधीयताम्: let it be arranged/ordained
• विधीयताम्: आज्ञार्थ-क्रिया (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Local devotees/attendants addressing Rudra (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sura-śreṣṭha (best of gods)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of worried brāhmaṇas and ascetics petition a radiant deva, hands raised in supplication, pointing toward the dangerous liṅgas; the scene conveys urgent governance and protection.

Characters & Entities

• Suraśreṣṭha (Rudra/Śiva)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Tapasvin
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True governance (nīti) in sacred space prioritizes the protection of the spiritually devoted and preserves the dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate setting is the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 106), emphasizing a tīrtha’s duty to protect its seekers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for divinely sanctioned nīti—an authorized corrective procedure—rather than adharmic removal of liṅgas.