Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 165

Devanagari script

अश्विनौ मृन्मयं लिंगं नाम्ना चैव सुवेधसम् । विनायकः पिष्टलिंगं नाम्ना चापि कपर्दिनम्

Transliteration

aśvinau mṛnmayaṃ liṃgaṃ nāmnā caiva suvedhasam | vināyakaḥ piṣṭaliṃgaṃ nāmnā cāpi kapardinam

Translation

അശ്വിനീദ്വയം മണ്ണുകൊണ്ടുള്ള ലിംഗം നിർമ്മിച്ച് അതിന് ‘സുവേധസ്’ എന്നു നാമം നൽകി. വിനായകൻ പിഷ്ടമയ ലിംഗം ഉണ്ടാക്കി അതിനും ‘കപർദിൻ’ എന്നു പേരിട്ടു.

Word by Word

• अश्विनौ: the Aśvins (twin gods)
• अश्विनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

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

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘नाम्ना’ = by the name (instrumental of naming)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सुवेधसम्: Suvedhas (a name/title)
• सुवेधसम्: Name (Apposition to liṅga)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम-रूपेण (as a name)

• विनायकः: Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• विनायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक (also)

• कपर्दिनम्: Kapardin (Śiva, ‘with matted hair’)
• कपर्दिनम्: Name (Apposition to liṅga)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपर्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम-रूपेण

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Aśvinī twins, radiant physicians of the gods, shape a clay liṅga named Suvedhasa; Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa) forms a paste-made liṅga and names it Kapardin, with matted-hair symbolism evoked.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvinau
• Vināyaka
• Suvedhasa
• Kapardin
• Śiva (Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Accessible materials like clay or paste can become sacred through devotion; divine names reveal Śiva’s qualities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This excerpt does not specify a location; it continues the enumeration of liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it describes the making and naming of liṅgas.