Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

निर्गुणं परमात्मानं विद्धि लिंगस्वरूपिणम् । परा शक्तिस्तथा ज्ञेया निर्गुणा शाश्वती सती

Transliteration

nirguṇaṃ paramātmānaṃ viddhi liṃgasvarūpiṇam | parā śaktistathā jñeyā nirguṇā śāśvatī satī

Translation

Ketahuilah Sang Paramātman sebagai yang melampaui guṇa, yang hakikat wujud-Nya adalah Liṅga. Demikian pula Parāśakti hendaklah dipahami melampaui guṇa—kekal dan senantiasa nyata.

Word by Word

• nirguṇam: quality-less
• nirguṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirguṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• paramātmānam: the Supreme Self
• paramātmānam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘supreme self’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• viddhi: know (you)
• viddhi: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• liṅga-svarūpiṇam: as having the liṅga as its form
• liṅga-svarūpiṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + sva-rūpin (स्वरूपिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘having liṅga as (one’s) own form’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (paramātmānam)

• parā: supreme
• parā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• śaktiḥ: power, Śakti
• śaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise, thus
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

• jñeyā: is to be known
• jñeyā: Kriyā (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + ya (य) (भाव्य/कर्तव्य)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थे ‘य’ प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• nirguṇā: quality-less
• nirguṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirguṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (śaktiḥ)

• śāśvatī: eternal
• śāśvatī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (śaktiḥ)

• satī: being, existent; true
• satī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक; from as ‘to be’ → sat)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण/विधेय (śaktiḥ)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continuing the teaching attributed to Nandin)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śuka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous liṅga at the center, not anthropomorphic, radiating subtle light; Vyāsa instructs Śuka, while an ethereal presence of Parā-Śakti is suggested as a halo or energy field—signifying nirguṇa yet present.

Characters & Entities

• Paramātman
• Liṅga
• Parā Śakti
• Satī (as 'ever-real', not necessarily the goddess-persona)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva as Liṅga symbolizes the transcendent, attribute-less Supreme; ultimate reality and its supreme power are beyond the three guṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kedāra-kṣetra, where Liṅga worship is central; the doctrine supports the mahātmya of worshipping Kedāreśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse provides the metaphysical basis for Liṅga-upāsanā (Liṅga worship).