Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

यो लिंगग्रहणं कृत्वा ततः कोपपरो भवेत् । तस्य वृथा हि तत्सर्वं यथा भस्महुतं तथा

Transliteration

yo liṃgagrahaṇaṃ kṛtvā tataḥ kopaparo bhavet | tasya vṛthā hi tatsarvaṃ yathā bhasmahutaṃ tathā

Translation

Wer das Liṅga (das religiöse Zeichen) annimmt und danach dem Zorn verfällt, für den wird all dies vergeblich—wie ein Opfer, das in Asche gegossen wird.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: he who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• liṅga-grahaṇam: taking/accepting the liṅga
• liṅga-grahaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga + grahaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; √grah धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः ‘लिङ्गस्य ग्रहणम्’

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriyā (Action-aux/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘thereafter’

• kopa-paraḥ: given to anger
• kopa-paraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kopa + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः ‘कोपे परः’ (devoted to anger)

• bhavet: may become
• bhavet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• vṛthā: in vain
• vṛthā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘in vain’

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) कारण/निश्चयार्थ

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• sarvam: all (of it)
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• bhasma-hutam: an offering into ashes
• bhasma-hutam: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasma + huta (प्रातिपदिक; √hu धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः ‘भस्मनि/भस्मेन हुतम्’

• tathā: so/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb)

Speaker

Narratorial voice (didactic statement within the chapter; exact speaker not explicit in this verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee wearing a liṅga-mark or carrying a liṅga-symbol erupts in anger; beside him a ritual fire is shown as cold ash, with offerings wasted—didactic contrast between form and spirit.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer religious identity is meaningless without inner self-control; anger destroys the merit of observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This line functions as a moral teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya context rather than a direct praise of a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references liṅga-grahaṇa (adopting a devotional emblem/mark) and stresses the ethical restraint required to make it fruitful.