Shloka 130

Adhyaya 71: पुरत्रयवृत्तान्तः—ब्रह्मवरदानम्, मयकृतत्रिपुर-निर्माणम्, विष्णुमाया-धर्मविघ्नः, शिवस्तुति, त्रिपुरदाहोपक्रमः

Devanagari script

स्कन्दमालिङ्ग्य चाघ्राय नृत्य पुत्रेत्युवाच ह सो ऽपि लीलालसो बालो ननर्तार्तिहरः प्रभुः

Transliteration

skandamāliṅgya cāghrāya nṛtya putretyuvāca ha so 'pi līlālaso bālo nanartārtiharaḥ prabhuḥ

Translation

സ്കന്ദനെ ആലിംഗനം ചെയ്ത് സ്നേഹത്തോടെ അവന്റെ ശിരസ്സിനെ മണന്ന്, “നൃത്തം ചെയ്‌തു, മകനേ” എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു. അപ്പോൾ ലീലാമയനായ ആ ബാലൻ, ആർതിഹരനായ പ്രഭു സ്കന്ദനും നൃത്തം തുടങ്ങി।

Word by Word

• skandam: Skanda (Kartikeya)

• āliṅgya: having embraced

• ca: and

• āghrāya: having smelled (in affection)

• nṛtya: dance

• putra: O son

• iti: thus

• uvāca: said

• ha: indeed

• saḥ api: he also

• līlālasaḥ: delighting in divine play

• bālaḥ: the child

• nanarta: danced

• ārtiharaḥ: remover of suffering

• prabhuḥ: Lord, sovereign

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the episode within the Purana’s internal story)

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It highlights the compassionate, accessible nature of Pati (Shiva): the Lord who is worshiped as the Linga is not only transcendent but also intimate—bestowing grace through affectionate lila that removes the devotee’s ārtis (afflictions).

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva-tattva is shown as both sovereign (prabhu) and tenderly immanent: as Pati, he commands and blesses, and through mere presence and love he uplifts the pashu (bound soul) from pasha (sorrow and bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse implicitly points to bhakti as a Pashupata-oriented discipline: surrender to the Lord’s will (“dance, my son”) and participation in sacred lila, which becomes a means of inner purification and removal of duḥkha.