Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

आनीय हृद्यं पाषाणं शून्ये तु शिबिरोत्तमे । नातिदूरे स्वशिबिराच्छिवलिंगमकल्पयत्

Transliteration

ānīya hṛdyaṃ pāṣāṇaṃ śūnye tu śibirottame | nātidūre svaśibirācchivaliṃgamakalpayat

Translation

Apportant une pierre agréable, dans un endroit dégagé au meilleur endroit du camp, non loin de son propre abri, il façonna un liṅga de Śiva.

Word by Word

• आनीय: having brought
• आनीय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund: having brought)

• हृद्यम्: pleasing
• हृद्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पाषाणम्: stone
• पाषाणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṣāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शून्ये: in an empty place
• शून्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• शिबिरोत्तमे: in the best camp-site
• शिबिरोत्तमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śibira + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (शिबिराणाम् उत्तमे)

• न: not
• न: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अतिदूरे: too far away
• अतिदूरे: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atidūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (locative used adverbially: too far)

• स्वशिबिरात्: from his own camp
• स्वशिबिरात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + śibira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (स्वस्य शिबिरात्)

• शिवलिङ्गम्: Śiva-liṅga
• शिवलिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (शिवस्य लिङ्गम्)

• अकल्पयत्: prepared/arranged
• अकल्पयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a-√kḷp (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, unspecified in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śibira-śiva-liṅga (implied, newly established)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The boy carries a smooth, pleasing stone to an open patch of ground in the camp and shapes/sets it upright as a Śiva-liṅga, carefully choosing a spot not far from his shelter.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-liṅga
• Ballavī-suta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion does not depend on grandeur; even a simple stone, sanctified by intention and reverence, becomes a focus for Śiva-bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is described; the narrative highlights a portable, personal sacred space created through liṅga-worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fashioning/setting up a Śiva-liṅga (liṅga-kalpanā) as a basis for worship is described.