Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

दत्तं लिंगस्य तत्पद्मनालं छित्त्वा तु नन्दिना । अर्चयित्वा तु तन्नन्दी लिंगं पाशुपतेश्वरम् । नालं गृहीत्वा यत्नेन ऋषीन्वचनमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

dattaṃ liṃgasya tatpadmanālaṃ chittvā tu nandinā | arcayitvā tu tannandī liṃgaṃ pāśupateśvaram | nālaṃ gṛhītvā yatnena ṛṣīnvacanamabravīt

Translation

Nandin trancha la tige de lotus déposée sur le Liṅga. Puis il rendit un culte à ce Liṅga, Pāśupateśvara. Tenant la tige avec soin dans sa main, il adressa la parole aux sages.

Word by Word

• dattam: given; handed over
• dattam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (धाातु) → datta (कृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) — “given/handed”

• liṅgasya: of the liṅga
• liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• tat-padma-nālam: that lotus-stalk
• tat-padma-nālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + padma (प्रातिपदिक) + nāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः— “of that lotus” + “stalk”

• chittvā: having cut
• chittvā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Absolutive modifying main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √chid (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — “having cut”

• tu: but; then
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• nandinā: by Nandin
• nandinā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/instrumental agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• arcayitvā: having worshipped
• arcayitvā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Absolutive/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — “having worshipped”

• tu: then
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• tat-nandī: that Nandin
• tat-nandī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + nandin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः— “that (very) Nandin”

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

• pāśupateśvaram: Pāśupateśvara (the Lord of Pāśupatas)
• pāśupateśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśupata (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः— “Pāśupata” + “Lord” (epithet of Śiva)

• nālam: the stalk
• nālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• gṛhītvā: having taken
• gṛhītvā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Absolutive/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — “having taken/held”

• yatnena: with effort; carefully
• yatnena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• ṛṣīn: the sages
• ṛṣīn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन

• vacanam: speech; words
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• abravīt: said; spoke
• abravīt: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic frame) describing Nandin’s action

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāśupateśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside the shrine, a dark, polished liṅga stands adorned; a lotus-stalk lies across it. Nandī, focused and reverent, removes/cuts the stalk with deliberate care, then performs worship with folded hands and offerings, finally holding the stalk as he turns to address seated sages.

Characters & Entities

• Nandin
• Pāśupateśvara
• Liṅga
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through careful ritual service to the Liṅga, followed by truthful communication to the wise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, featuring the worship of Pāśupateśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-arcana (worship) is explicitly mentioned; the lotus-stalk is handled as part of the worship setting.