Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

अष्टभिश्च सदा लिंगैरष्टदिक्पालपूजितः । अष्टमूर्त्तितया योऽयमष्टसिद्धिप्रदायकः

Transliteration

aṣṭabhiśca sadā liṃgairaṣṭadikpālapūjitaḥ | aṣṭamūrttitayā yo'yamaṣṭasiddhipradāyakaḥ

Translation

Il demeure à jamais sous la forme de huit liṅga, adoré par les gardiens des huit directions ; et, en tant que Seigneur aux huit formes (aṣṭamūrti), il accorde les huit siddhi.

Word by Word

• अष्टभिः: with eight
• अष्टभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• लिङ्गैः: by/with liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• अष्टदिक्पालपूजितः: worshipped by the eight guardians of the directions
• अष्टदिक्पालपूजितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजित (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु))
• Form: बहुपद-समास; ‘अष्टदिक्पालैः पूजितः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; पूजित = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अष्टमूर्त्तितया: by (his) eight-formed nature
• अष्टमूर्त्तितया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + ता (तद्धित)
• Form: अष्टमूर्ति-समास (तत्पुरुष); ‘-तया’ = तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; भाववाचक-तद्धित (abstract noun)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक (demonstrative pronoun)

• अष्टसिद्धिप्रदायकः: giver of the eight siddhis
• अष्टसिद्धिप्रदायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदायक (कृदन्त; √दा (धातु) + प्र- उपसर्ग)
• Form: समास: ‘अष्टसिद्धीनां प्रदायकः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; प्रदायक = ण्वुल्/क-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala (Aruṇādri/Śoṇaśaila)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aruṇācala as a radiant red-gold mountain-linga; eight directional liṅgas around it; dikpālas (Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Kubera, Īśāna) offering lamps, flowers, and water; subtle aura of aṣṭamūrti (earth, water, fire, air, ether, sun, moon, yajamāna/ātman).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (as Liṅga)
• Aṣṭadikpālas
• Aṣṭamūrti
• Aṣṭasiddhis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s all-pervading sovereignty is expressed through eightfold manifestation; spiritual attainments arise under his grace in the sacred kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala, where Śiva is praised as eight-liṅga and aṣṭamūrti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied worship (pūjā) of Śiva-liṅga, aligned with directional guardians and aṣṭamūrti contemplation.