Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नाम चोच्चार्य लिंगस्य नमस्कारान्तमादधे । कर्दमेन द्विजश्रेष्ठाः पंचांगुलशतेन च

Transliteration

nāma coccārya liṃgasya namaskārāntamādadhe | kardamena dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ paṃcāṃgulaśatena ca

Translation

Après avoir prononcé le nom du liṅga, il conclut par un acte de prosternation. Puis, avec de la boue d’argile—mesurée à cent empans de cinq doigts, ô meilleurs des brāhmaṇas—(il prépara la matière pour le culte/l’installation).

Word by Word

• नाम: by name, the name
• नाम: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्ययम्; वाक्योपपादकं ‘namely/by name’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• उच्चार्य: having uttered
• उच्चार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (Gerund/Absolutive)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• नमस्कारान्तम्: ending with a salutation
• नमस्कारान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नमस्कारः अन्तः यस्य/यत्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• आदधे: placed/added, performed
• आदधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• कर्दमेन: with mud
• कर्दमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (O best Brahmins)

• पञ्चाङ्गुलशतेन: with a hundred (measures) of five-finger breadths
• पञ्चाङ्गुलशतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अङ्गुल + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः ‘पञ्च-अङ्गुलानां शतम्’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator addressing listeners (dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅga-darśana-kṣetra (27-liṅga circuit; contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ (addressed as ‘O best of brāhmaṇas’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee stands before a liṅga, chants its name, then bows fully; nearby he kneads sacred clay/mud in a measured heap, with a palm-span measure indicated, preparing for ritual application or offering.

Characters & Entities

• liṅga
• dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ (best of twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through precise, reverent action—name-recitation and salutations joined with careful ritual preparation.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī-tīra context continues; the verse focuses more on liṅga-rite than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the liṅga’s name, conclude with namaskāra, and prepare/handle ritual clay (kardama) with a specified measure (pañcāṅgulaśata).