Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

दुर्वासा उवाच । यदा ते नंदिनी धेनुर्लिंगं बाणार्चितं पुरा । दर्शयिष्यति ते मुक्तिस्तदा तूर्णं भविष्यति

Transliteration

durvāsā uvāca | yadā te naṃdinī dhenurliṃgaṃ bāṇārcitaṃ purā | darśayiṣyati te muktistadā tūrṇaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

Durvāsā dit : Lorsque ta vache Nandinī te montrera le liṅga jadis adoré par Bāṇa, alors ta délivrance (mukti) surviendra promptement.

Word by Word

• दुर्वासाः: Durvāsā
• दुर्वासाः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक: ‘when’)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (enclitic ‘ते’), एकवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (Dat. sg.) ‘to you’

• नन्दिनी: Nandinī
• नन्दिनी: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• धेनुः: the cow
• धेनुः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nom. sg.); नन्दिनी इति समानाधिकरणम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• बाण-अर्चितम्: worshipped by Bāṇa
• बाण-अर्चितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चित (कृदन्त; √अर्च्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया: ‘बाणेन अर्चितम्’), भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; लिङ्गम् इति विशेषणम्

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक: formerly)

• दर्शयिष्यति: will show
• दर्शयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.); णिजन्त (causative) ‘will show’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन (Dat. sg.)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Kartr (Subject of ‘भविष्यति’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक: then)

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण: quickly)

• भविष्यति: will be, will occur
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā prophesies: the king’s cow Nandinī will lead him to an ancient Śiva-liṅga once worshipped by Bāṇa; the scene hints at a hidden shrine in forest or near a water-source, awaiting revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Nandinī
• Dhenu
• Liṅga
• Bāṇa
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is linked to sacred encounter (darśana) with a consecrated liṅga, emphasizing grace mediated through holy places and signs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific liṅga-site is indicated—‘the liṅga formerly worshipped by Bāṇa’—serving as the focal sacred landmark within this tīrtha-māhātmya episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (and implicitly reverent approach/worship) of the Bāṇa-arcita Śiva-liṅga is given as the condition for release (mukti).