Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मद्वचनाद्भानो चतुर्दश्यां मधौ सिते । यन्मया स्थापितं तत्र लिंगं पूज्यं हि तत्त्व या

Transliteration

tasmānmadvacanādbhāno caturdaśyāṃ madhau site | yanmayā sthāpitaṃ tatra liṃgaṃ pūjyaṃ hi tattva yā

Translation

„Darum, o Bhānu (Sonne), gemäß meinem Wort: Am hellen vierzehnten Tag (Caturdaśī) des Monats Madhu (Caitra) soll der Liṅga, den ich dort errichtet habe, wahrhaftig mit rechter Erkenntnis und nach dem wahren Grundsatz verehrt werden.“

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Reason/source: therefore/from that)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• मद्वचनात्: from my instruction
• मद्वचनात्: Apadana (Source/authority)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध) + वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative: 'my word'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भानो: O Sun
• भानो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (tithi)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (Singular)

• मधौ: in spring (Madhu season)
• मधौ: Adhikarana (Time/season)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सिते: in the bright (fortnight)
• सिते: Adhikarana (Qualifier of time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of (पक्षे understood)

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्ध-प्रयोग (relative pronoun)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थापितम्: established/installed
• स्थापितम्: Karma (Object described)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); यत् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (Locative adverb)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूज्यम्: to be worshipped
• पूज्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerundive: to be worshipped), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (contextually agreeing with लिङ्गम् as predicate)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Emphatic particle)

• तत्त्वया: truly/in accordance with truth
• तत्त्वया: Karana (Manner/with truth)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); पाठभेद-संदेह: IAST 'tattva yā' likely = 'तत्त्वया'

Speaker

Unnamed Muni (addressing Bhānu/Sūrya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūrya (Bhānu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecrated Śiva-liṅga at a tīrtha, adorned with bilva leaves and water offerings; the Sun-god addressed directly, with the bright fortnight moon implied by the calendrical specificity; the sage instructs worship ‘with tattva’.

Characters & Entities

• Bhānu (Sūrya)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Caitra (Madhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obedience to dharmic instruction and worship performed with tattva (right understanding) makes a ritual spiritually effective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a particular tīrtha in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa where an established Śiva-liṅga is to be worshipped; the exact place-name is implied by the surrounding narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pūjā is prescribed on the bright Caturdaśī (14th lunar day) of the month Madhu/Caitra.