Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

शैलादेन महाभागा विचित्रा लिंगधारकाः । शवस्योपरि लिंगं च ध्रियते च पुरातनैः

Transliteration

śailādena mahābhāgā vicitrā liṃgadhārakāḥ | śavasyopari liṃgaṃ ca dhriyate ca purātanaiḥ

Translation

Par Śailāda, ô très fortunés, furent établis d’étonnants porteurs du liṅga ; et même sur un cadavre le liṅga est porté, ainsi que l’ont maintenu les anciens.

Word by Word

• śailādena: by Śailāda
• śailādena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śailāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• mahābhāgāḥ: the fortunate ones
• mahābhāgāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahābhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• vicitrāḥ: wonderful/variegated
• vicitrāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (agreeing with mahābhāgāḥ)

• liṅgadhārakāḥ: bearers of the liṅga
• liṅgadhārakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga + dhāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• śavasya: of the corpse
• śavasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Neuter, Genitive (6th), Singular

• upari: upon/on
• upari: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/अव्ययीभावार्थे अव्यय (preposition/adverb)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• dhriyate: is borne/is held
• dhriyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग — Present Indicative, 3rd person, Singular; Passive voice

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• purātanaiḥ: by the ancients
• purātanaiḥ: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahābhāgāḥ (addressed audience; likely sages/pilgrims in the narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan hermitage scene: Śailāda establishes wondrous liṅga-bearers; ascetics hold or wear small liṅgas; an unsettling yet sacral image of a liṅga placed upon a corpse, emphasizing ancient ordinance and transcendence of fear.

Characters & Entities

• Śailāda
• Liṅga
• Ancients (purātanāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liṅga-devotion is portrayed as an ancient, powerful discipline that transcends ordinary boundaries, emphasizing unwavering Śiva-centeredness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred region is the narrative frame; the verse supports the broader Kedāra liṅga-mahātmya tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It alludes to liṅga-dhāraṇa (bearing/placing the liṅga) as an ancient observance, though details are not enumerated here.