Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तस्यार्चयेल्लिंगं भुक्तिमुक्ती य इच्छति । सृष्ट्यादौ लिंगरूपी स विवादो मम ब्रह्मणः

Transliteration

tasmāttasyārcayelliṃgaṃ bhuktimuktī ya icchati | sṛṣṭyādau liṃgarūpī sa vivādo mama brahmaṇaḥ

Translation

Therefore, whoever desires both worldly enjoyment and liberation should worship His Liṅga. At the beginning of creation, when the dispute between me and Brahmā arose, He appeared in the form of the Liṅga.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• भुक्ति: enjoyment; worldly prosperity
• भुक्ति: Karma (Object desired/इष्टकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कर्मद्वन्द्व-समुच्चयार्थे युगपद्)

• मुक्ति: liberation
• मुक्ति: Karma (Object desired/इष्टकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (भुक्ति-समुच्चय)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• इच्छति: desires
• इच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सृष्ट्यादौ: at the beginning of creation
• सृष्ट्यादौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (आदि-शब्दः), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सृष्टेः आदौ)

• लिङ्गरूपी: having the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपी: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गं रूपं यस्य/लिङ्गरूपः)

• सः: that/he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विवादः: the dispute
• विवादः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahman / of the Absolute
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Viṣṇu (first-person 'mama' in the Brahmā-Viṣṇu dispute context indicates Viṣṇu speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/Ṛṣis (contextual; Kaumārikākhaṇḍa discourse frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The cosmic Liṅga manifests at the beginning of creation; Brahmā and Viṣṇu stand in dispute, dwarfed by an endless pillar of light, while the narrator (Skanda/Kaumāra context) points to liṅga-arcana as the remedy.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Creation (Sṛṣṭi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liṅga-worship is upheld as a direct, complete path granting both prosperity (bhukti) and liberation (mukti).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse glorifies the primordial Liṅga manifestation central to Śaiva tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) of Śiva’s Liṅga is prescribed for seekers of both worldly and spiritual goals.