Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । हरस्य पूज्यते लिंगं कस्मादतन्महामते । विशेषात्संपरित्यज्य शेषांगानि सुरासुरैः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | harasya pūjyate liṃgaṃ kasmādatanmahāmate | viśeṣātsaṃparityajya śeṣāṃgāni surāsuraiḥ

Translation

Les sages dirent : Ô grand d’esprit, pourquoi le liṅga de Hara (Śiva) est-il adoré—tout particulièrement par les dieux et les asuras—tandis que ses autres membres sont délaissés ?

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन (they said)

• harasya: of Hara (Śiva)
• harasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन (of Hara/Śiva)

• pūjyate: is worshipped
• pūjyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive) (is worshipped)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karta (कर्ता) (in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (here: प्रथमा as passive subject)

• kasmāt: why/from what reason
• kasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन (from what?/why?)

• etan: this
• etan: Karma (कर्म) (with implied verb ‘ask’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (this)

• mahāmate: O great sage
• mahāmate: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-mati (प्रातिपदिक: महा + मति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन (O great-minded one)

• viśeṣāt: especially
• viśeṣāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचन (especially/from distinction)

• saṃparityajya: having abandoned
• saṃparityajya: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saṃ-pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभाव (having completely abandoned)

• śeṣa-aṅgāni: the remaining parts/limbs
• śeṣa-aṅgāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन (the remaining limbs)

• sura-asuraiḥ: by gods and demons
• sura-asuraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन (by gods and demons)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest hermitage assembly: sages seated in a semi-circle, addressing Sūta; in the background a simple stone liṅga on a pedestal with bilva leaves; devas and asuras hinted as distant silhouettes offering flowers, emphasizing universality.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames liṅga-worship as a central Śaiva practice and invites a doctrinal explanation grounded in Purāṇic revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named yet; the question introduces a Śaiva theme that will be tied to tīrtha narratives in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pūjā is referenced as the practice under discussion, without procedural details in this verse.