Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 154

Devanagari script

बालमण्डनके स्नात्वा लिंगमेतत्समाहिताः । पूजयिष्यंति सद्भक्त्या ते यास्यंति परां गतिम्

Transliteration

bālamaṇḍanake snātvā liṃgametatsamāhitāḥ | pūjayiṣyaṃti sadbhaktyā te yāsyaṃti parāṃ gatim

Translation

Nachdem sie in Bālamaṇḍanaka gebadet haben und mit gesammeltetem Geist diesen Liṅga in wahrer Hingabe verehren, werden sie den höchsten Zustand erlangen.

Word by Word

• bālamaṇḍanake: at Bālamaṇḍanaka (a bathing place)
• bālamaṇḍanake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍanaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बालस्य मण्डनकः/मण्डनके), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (स्थलनाम), सप्तमी, एकवचन

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund)

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

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; liṅgam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• samāhitāḥ: with focused mind
• samāhitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-dhā (धातु) + kta (क्त) → samāhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (te) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• pūjayiṣyanti: will worship
• pūjayiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative) → pūjay (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sadbhaktyā: with true devotion
• sadbhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सद्भक्तिः = सती/शुद्धा भक्तिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• yāsyanti: will go/attain
• yāsyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• parām: supreme
• parām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; gatim इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• gatim: state/goal
• gatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: narrator stating the tīrtha’s principal salvific fruit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bālamaṇḍanaka

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathe in a sacred tank named Bālamaṇḍanaka, then approach a black stone liṅga adorned with bilva leaves and garlands, offering water and lamps with deep devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Bālamaṇḍanaka tīrtha
• Liṅga (Caturvaktra context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected when outer purity (snāna) is joined to inner devotion (bhakti) and focused worship of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bālamaṇḍanaka tīrtha and its liṅga (earlier identified as Caturvaktra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at Bālamaṇḍanaka and then worship the liṅga with composed mind and sincere devotion.