Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

वैडूर्यं राघवो लिंगं जगज्ज्येष्ठेति नाम च । बाणो मारकतं लिंगं वसिष्ठमिति नाम च

Transliteration

vaiḍūryaṃ rāghavo liṃgaṃ jagajjyeṣṭheti nāma ca | bāṇo mārakataṃ liṃgaṃ vasiṣṭhamiti nāma ca

Translation

രാഘവൻ വൈഡൂര്യമണിയാൽ നിർമ്മിത ലിംഗം പൂജിച്ച് ‘ജഗജ്ജ്യേഷ്ഠ’ നാമം ജപിക്കുന്നു. ബാണൻ മരകതമണിയാൽ നിർമ്മിത ലിംഗം ആരാധിച്ച് ‘വസിഷ്ഠ’ നാമം ജപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• vaiḍūryam: vaiḍūrya (cat's-eye gem)
• vaiḍūryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiḍūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• rāghavaḥ: Rāghava
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

• jagat-jyeṣṭha-iti: “Jagajjyeṣṭha” (thus)
• jagat-jyeṣṭha-iti: Sambandha (Quotation/Naming)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदik) + jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थ ‘इति’; jagajjyeṣṭha = नाम (quoted)

• nāma: name; called
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; naming usage

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• bāṇaḥ: Bāṇa
• bāṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• mārakatam: emerald
• mārakatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārakata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• vasiṣṭha-iti: “Vasiṣṭha” (thus)
• vasiṣṭha-iti: Sambandha (Quotation/Naming)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थ ‘इति’; vasiṣṭha = नाम (quoted)

• nāma: name; called
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; naming usage

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa default attribution

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāghava offers flowers to a cat’s-eye gem liṅga that gleams with a moving band of light; Bāṇa worships an emerald liṅga glowing green, with the names ‘Jagajjyeṣṭha’ and ‘Vasiṣṭha’ inscribed on hanging banners in the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava
• Bāṇa
• Śiva
• Jagajjyeṣṭha
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s supremacy is praised through exalted titles; devotional naming (nāma) consecrates even rare gem-forms into sacred presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a devotional catalogue of liṅga materials and Śiva-nāmas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invocation of Śiva by the names ‘Jagajjyeṣṭha’ and ‘Vasiṣṭha’ during worship of gem-made liṅgas.