Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

एवं मत्वा मया लिंगं स्नापितं पयसा सदा । एतद्यूथं परित्यज्य भक्त्या पूतेन चेतसा

Transliteration

evaṃ matvā mayā liṃgaṃ snāpitaṃ payasā sadā | etadyūthaṃ parityajya bhaktyā pūtena cetasā

Translation

In diesem Wissen habe ich den Liṅga stets mit Milch gebadet. Und nachdem ich diese Herde verlassen hatte, mit einem durch Bhakti geläuterten Geist…

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having thought/considered)

• मया: by me
• मया: कर्ता (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• स्नापितम्: bathed / washed
• स्नापितम्: कर्म (Object in passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (washed/bathed)

• पयसा: with milk
• पयसा: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: always)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• यूथम्: herd / group
• यूथम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; उपसर्गः परि- (having abandoned)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: करण (Instrument/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• पूतेन: purified
• पूतेन: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूत (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त from पू (धातु) ‘to purify’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (न) — पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with चेतसा)

• चेतसा: with (my) mind
• चेतसा: करण (Instrument: with mind)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

Speaker

Nandinī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura (liṅga within)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs kṣīrābhiṣeka: white milk streams over a dark stone liṅga, with bilva leaves and a small lamp; nearby, cows/herd imagery hints at Nandinī’s pastoral identity; the devotee turns away from the herd, mind intent on Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service (bhakti) expressed through worship becomes purifying; even simple offerings like milk-abhiṣeka are exalted in tīrtha contexts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship is directed to the Liṅga associated with Camatkārapura-kṣetra, the chapter’s central sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-snāna/abhiṣeka with milk (payas) is explicitly mentioned as Nandinī’s regular act of worship.