Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । महालिंगस्य वक्ष्यामि महिमानं कुरूद्वह । गौतमेश्वर लिंगस्य सावधानः शृणुष्व तत्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | mahāliṃgasya vakṣyāmi mahimānaṃ kurūdvaha | gautameśvara liṃgasya sāvadhānaḥ śṛṇuṣva tat

Translation

Nārada dit : Ô le plus éminent des Kurus, je vais proclamer la grandeur du Grand Liṅga — le Liṅga de Gautameśvara. Écoute avec une attention parfaite.

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महालिङ्गस्य: of the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महिमानम्: greatness, glory
• महिमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुरूद्वह: O best of the Kurus
• कुरूद्वह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + उद्वह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गौतमेश्वर: Gautameśvara (of/related to Gautama and Īśvara)
• गौतमेश्वर: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमास (Gautama’s lord), प्रातिपदिक-रूप; अत्र विशेषणत्वेन (as qualifier)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सावधानः: attentive
• सावधानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सावधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying the listener)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that (account)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptakṣetra—Gautameśvara Mahāliṅga

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuru-foremost (addressed as Kurūd-vaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, vīṇā in hand, addresses a Kuru-foremost in a forest-āśrama setting, announcing the greatness of the Mahāliṅga called Gautameśvara; the liṅga’s aura is suggested as the narrative focus.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Gautameśvara-liṅga
• Mahāliṅga
• Kuru-udvaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s liṅga is a living axis of sacred power; attentive listening to its māhātmya is itself a devotional practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the Gautameśvara Liṅga (a Śaiva sacred locus) within the Guptakṣetra-focused narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A listening-discipline is prescribed: hear the māhātmya with attention (sāvadhāna-śravaṇa).