Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

यस्माल्लिंगं ममैतद्वै त्वया पांसुभिरावृतम् । तस्मात्समानधर्मा त्वं गन्धवाहो भविष्यसि

Transliteration

yasmālliṃgaṃ mamaitadvai tvayā pāṃsubhirāvṛtam | tasmātsamānadharmā tvaṃ gandhavāho bhaviṣyasi

Translation

Puisque ce Liṅga qui est mien a été recouvert par toi de sable, ainsi tu deviendras de nature semblable : porteur d’odeurs (gandha-vāha).

Word by Word

• यस्मात्: because/from which reason
• यस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (because)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (indeed)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• पांसुभिः: with dust
• पांसुभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आवृतम्: covered
• आवृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (धातु; √वृ/वृणोति/वृणुते) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तस्मात्-हेतोः (therefore)

• समानधर्मा: having the same nature
• समानधर्मा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘समानः धर्मः यस्य’ (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गन्धवाहः: carrier of fragrance (wind)
• गन्धवाहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + वाह (प्रातिपदिक; √वह्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘गन्धं वहति’ (गन्धवाह)

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु; √भू)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Purāri (Śiva) (reported speech referenced by Vāyu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (liṅga-associated cleft)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva pronounces the curse: Vāyu, who covered the liṅga with sand, is destined to become ‘gandha-vāha’; sand swirls around the liṅga, transforming into scented/odorous currents carried by wind.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Purāri)
• Vāyu
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obscuring the divine (even unintentionally) produces lasting effects; purity and reverence toward sacred emblems are central to purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra by implication, where the liṅga-associated event is remembered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse conveys a doctrinal warning about covering/defiling sacred symbols.