Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 187

Devanagari script

साध्या भर्तृमयं लिंगं नाम विश्वपतिः स्मृतम् । नारायणो नरो मौंजं सहस्रशिरनाम च

Transliteration

sādhyā bhartṛmayaṃ liṃgaṃ nāma viśvapatiḥ smṛtam | nārāyaṇo naro mauṃjaṃ sahasraśiranāma ca

Translation

The Sādhyas worship a liṅga that embodies the Lord as husband and master, remembered by the name Viśvapati, Lord of the universe. Nārāyaṇa and Nara worship a liṅga fashioned of muñja-grass, known as Sahasraśiras, the Thousand-headed.

Word by Word

• साध्याः: the Sādhyas
• साध्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (देवगण-नाम; बहुवचनप्रयोगः), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भर्तृमयम्: made of/consisting of a lord (bhartṛ)
• भर्तृमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भर्तृ + मय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मयट्-प्रत्ययान्त: भर्त्रा/भर्तृभिः निर्मितम् (lord-made/of a lord)

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

• नाम: name
• नाम: Visheshana (Appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विश्वपतिः: Lord of the universe
• विश्वपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: विश्वस्य पतिः

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/called
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(इदं) स्मृतम्’ = “is remembered/called”

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नरः: Nara
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मौञ्जम्: muñja-grass (object/name)
• मौञ्जम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौञ्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहस्रशिरनाम: Sahasraśiras-nāma (named ‘Thousand-headed’)
• सहस्रशिरनाम: Visheshana (Name/epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + शिरस् + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (नामरूपे); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: सहस्रशिरः (सहस्रं शिरांसि यस्य) + नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Sādhyas worship a liṅga embodying the cosmic Lord, called Viśvapati; Nārāyaṇa and Nara, ascetic twins, worship a muñja-grass liṅga named Sahasraśiras—an image of tapas meeting Śaiva devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhyas
• Viśvapati
• Nārāyaṇa
• Nara
• Sahasraśiras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic gods and even Nārāyaṇa-Nara honor Śiva, highlighting unity of the divine and the supremacy of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It describes muñja-grass as a permissible sacred material for forming a liṅga for worship.