Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

भागद्वयं विरचितं तल्लिङ्गमृषिपुंगव । चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रं वाराहं द्वादशं विदुः

Transliteration

bhāgadvayaṃ viracitaṃ talliṅgamṛṣipuṃgava | caturviṃśatisāhasraṃ vārāhaṃ dvādaśaṃ viduḥ

Translation

Ô le plus éminent des sages, le Liṅga Purāṇa est composé de deux parties. Le Vārāha Purāṇa, que les savants tiennent pour le douzième, renferme vingt-quatre mille vers.

Word by Word

• bhāga-dvayam: two parts
• bhāga-dvayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (संख्यापूर्वकः)

• viracitam: composed/arranged
• viracitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√rac (रच्) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भागद्वयम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• tat-liṅgam: its mark/characteristic
• tat-liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य लिङ्गम्)

• ṛṣi-puṃgava: O best of sages
• ṛṣi-puṃgava: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋषीणां पुंगवः)

• catur-viṃśati-sāhasram: twenty-four thousand
• catur-viṃśati-sāhasram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + sāhasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (२४-सहस्रम्)

• vārāham: the Vārāha (Purāṇa)
• vārāham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पुराणनाम)

• dvādaśam: twelfth
• dvādaśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वाराहम्’ इति विशेषणम् (द्वादशम् = 12th)

• viduḥ: they know/they consider
• viduḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti), addressing Śaunaka and the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣipuṅgava (addressed sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm śāstra-sabhā: a revered ṛṣi addressed as ṛṣipuṅgava listens while a narrator enumerates Purāṇas, their divisions, and verse-counts; palm-leaf manuscripts and a liṅga emblem subtly indicate the Liṅga Purāṇa reference.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga Purāṇa
• Vārāha Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred texts are preserved with known internal structure (parts) and standard counts, supporting faithful recitation and lineage-based transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this verse continues the Purāṇa enumeration rather than describing a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it notes textual division (two parts) and verse-count.