Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततस्ते विबुधाः सर्वे तल्लिंगं प्रणिपत्य च । प्रतिजग्मुस्तुष्टियुक्ताः शस्त्राण्यादाय तान्प्रति

Transliteration

tataste vibudhāḥ sarve talliṃgaṃ praṇipatya ca | pratijagmustuṣṭiyuktāḥ śastrāṇyādāya tānprati

Translation

そのとき彼らすべての神々は、そのリンガに伏して礼拝し、満ち足りた心のまま再び出立した。彼らに向かう敵を討つため、武器を手に取って。

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे ‘तस्मात्/अनन्तरम्’ (thereupon/then)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural, masc.)

• vibudhāḥ: the gods, wise ones
• vibudhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural, masc.)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Nominative plural, masc.; adjective)

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘liṅgam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (Accusative singular, neut.; demonstrative)

• liṅgam: the emblem/linga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, neut.)

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय-कृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive): ‘प्रणिपत्य’ = having bowed down

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) = conjunction ‘and’

• pratijagmuḥ: they went back/returned
• pratijagmuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम् (Perfect, 3rd person plural, parasmaipada)

• tuṣṭi-yuktāḥ: endowed with satisfaction/pleased
• tuṣṭi-yuktāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (सप्तमी/तृतीया-समर्थः भावः) ‘तुष्ट्या युक्ताः’ इति; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Nom. pl. masc.)

• śastrāṇi: weapons
• śastrāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural, neut.)

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dā (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय-कृदन्तम् (gerund): ‘आदाय’ = having taken

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural, masc.)

• prati: towards, against
• prati: Sampradana (Goal/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग-निपातवत्; दिशाबोधक) = towards/against

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of devas, weapons lowered, bow in unison before a radiant Śiva-liṅga; then they rise, faces calm yet determined, lifting weapons as they march toward the enemy.

Characters & Entities

• Vibudhas (Devas)
• Liṅga
• Weapons (śastra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence to the sacred liṅga is shown as the foundation for righteous action—devotion precedes and sanctifies dharmic struggle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shrine housing 'that liṅga' in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative is the locus of glory, though unnamed in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇipāta (prostration) and darśana of the liṅga are implied acts of worship before undertaking an important duty.