Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

लिंगरूपाय लिंगाय लिंगानां पतये नमः । प्रणवरूपाय प्रणवार्थाय वै नमः

Transliteration

liṃgarūpāya liṃgāya liṃgānāṃ pataye namaḥ | praṇavarūpāya praṇavārthāya vai namaḥ

Translation

Salutations à Celui dont la forme est le Liṅga; salutations au Liṅga lui-même; salutations au Seigneur de tous les liṅgas. Salutations à Celui dont la forme est le Praṇava (Oṁ), et à Celui qui est le sens du Praṇava.

Word by Word

• liṃga-rūpāya: to the one whose form is the liṅga
• liṃga-rūpāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (liṃgasya rūpam)

• liṃgāya: to the liṅga
• liṃgāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• liṃgānām: of liṅgas
• liṃgānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• pataye: to the lord
• pataye: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojaka/Address (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूतं नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकम्; नमः-शब्दः (salutation, used indeclinably)

• praṇava-rūpāya: to the one whose form is Praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava-rūpāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (praṇavasya rūpam)

• praṇava-arthāya: to the meaning of Praṇava
• praṇava-arthāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (praṇavasya arthaḥ)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojaka/Address (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूतं नमः (salutation)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous liṅga radiates as the visual embodiment of Oṁ; the syllable Oṁ appears as a golden aura above the liṅga while devotees pour water and offer bilva leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Praṇava (Oṁ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is both the symbol (liṅga) and the mantra (Oṁ) and their inner meaning—devotion unites outer worship with inner realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

In Kedārakhaṇḍa, liṅga-praise directly supports Kedāra’s Śiva-liṅga worship and its tīrtha greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly endorses liṅga-pūjā and praṇava-japa, though not spelled out as a rule in this verse.