Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 115

Devanagari script

यथाशास्त्रेण विधिना लिंगार्चनपरोऽभवत् । स्नापयित्वा ततः पुष्पैर्नानश्चर्यसमन्वितैः

Transliteration

yathāśāstreṇa vidhinā liṃgārcanaparo'bhavat | snāpayitvā tataḥ puṣpairnānaścaryasamanvitaiḥ

Translation

Selon les śāstra et le rite prescrit, il se voua tout entier au culte du Liṅga. Après l’avoir baigné, il l’honora encore par des fleurs de maintes espèces merveilleuses.

Word by Word

• यथाशास्त्रेण: according to the scripture
• यथाशास्त्रेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; यथा + शास्त्र)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण साधन/रीतिवाचक (adverbial instrumental: ‘according to scripture’)

• विधिना: by the proper procedure, method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); साधन/रीतिवाचक

• लिङ्गार्चनपरः: devoted to liṅga-worship
• लिङ्गार्चनपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग-अर्चन-पर (प्रातिपदिक; लिङ्ग + अर्चन + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• स्नापयित्वा: having caused to bathe / having bathed (it)
• स्नापयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) causative; अव्ययभाव

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक (adverb: thereafter)

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); साधन (means)

• नानाश्चर्यसमन्वितैः: endowed with various wonders (marvelous)
• नानाश्चर्यसमन्वितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना-अश्चर्य-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + अश्चर्य + समन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifier of पुष्पैः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nandī-liṅga

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Post-abhiṣeka worship: the liṅga freshly bathed, adorned with garlands and many-colored flowers; Nandī offers blossoms in handfuls; ritual trays with bilva leaves, incense, and lamp arranged neatly.

Characters & Entities

• Nandī
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes spiritually potent when aligned with śāstra—right method joined to heartfelt worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, the Śiva-kṣetra celebrated in the Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-arcana performed by śāstric procedure: first snāna/abhiṣeka, then floral offerings.