Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

जांबूनदमयं देवाः शितिकण्ठेति नाम च । शंखलिंगं बुधो नाम कनिष्ठमिति संजपन्

Transliteration

jāṃbūnadamayaṃ devāḥ śitikaṇṭheti nāma ca | śaṃkhaliṃgaṃ budho nāma kaniṣṭhamiti saṃjapan

Translation

देवताओं ने जांबूनद-स्वर्ण का लिंग बनाकर उसका नाम ‘शितिकण्ठ’ रखा। बुध ने शंखमय लिंग बनाकर जप करते हुए उसका नाम ‘कनिष्ठ’ कहा।

Word by Word

• जाम्बूनद-मयम्: made of Jāmbūnada-gold
• जाम्बूनद-मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाम्बूनद (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शितिकण्ठ-इति: “Śitikaṇṭha” (thus)
• शितिकण्ठ-इति: Name/Quotation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शितिकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-प्रयोगः; शितिकण्ठ-शब्दः उद्धृत-नाम

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Name-apposition
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/‘by name’)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शङ्ख-लिङ्गम्: conch-liṅga
• शङ्ख-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• बुधः: Budha (Mercury)
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Name-apposition
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/‘by name’)

• कनिष्ठम्-इति: “Kaniṣṭha” (thus)
• कनिष्ठम्-इति: Name/Quotation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कनिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-प्रयोगः; कनिष्ठ-शब्दः उद्धृत-नाम (neuter form used as name)

• संजपन्: reciting/uttering
• संजपन्: Karta (Agent-participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), प्रथमा, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; परस्मैपद-भावः

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas present a radiant jāmbūnada-gold liṅga named Śitikaṇṭha; Budha, serene and youthful, fashions a conch-liṅga while softly reciting mantras, naming it Kaniṣṭha.

Characters & Entities

• Devāḥ
• Śitikaṇṭha
• Budha
• Śaṅkha-liṅga
• Śiva (Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the gods honor Śiva through consecrated forms; remembrance with japa sanctifies worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named in this verse; it lists liṅga forms and names.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa/recitation is implied by “saṃjapan,” but details of mantra or procedure are not provided.