Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

तस्माल्लिंगमिति प्रोक्तं देवै रुद्रस्य धीमतः । तोयेन स्नापयेल्लिंगं श्रद्धया शुचिना च यः

Transliteration

tasmālliṃgamiti proktaṃ devai rudrasya dhīmataḥ | toyena snāpayelliṃgaṃ śraddhayā śucinā ca yaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ദേവന്മാർ ധീമാനായ രുദ്രന്റെ ആ സ്വരൂപത്തെ ‘ലിംഗം’ എന്നു പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു. ആരെങ്കിലും ശ്രദ്ധയോടും ശുചിത്വത്തോടും കൂടി ജലത്തോടെ ലിംഗത്തെ സ്നാപനം ചെയ്യുകയാണെങ്കിൽ—

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: (it is) liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (उक्तिविषयः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Marker (Quotation/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• प्रोक्तम्: was declared; was said
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (was said)

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• रुद्रस्य: of Rudra
• रुद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धीमतः: of the wise
• धीमतः: Modifier (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रुद्रस्य-विशेषणम्

• तोयेन: with water
• तोयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) (णिच् causative: स्नापय)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शुचिना: with purity; by one who is pure
• शुचिना: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (स्वशरीर-शुद्ध्या/शुद्धेन) करणत्वेन

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/Ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, clean and focused, pours clear water over a dark stone liṅga; the water streams into a yoni-pīṭha channel, with lamps and bilva leaves nearby; gods witness and affirm the term ‘liṅga’.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful, pure worship of the Liṅga is a direct means to connect with Rudra’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the instruction is universal for Śiva temples and home worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform liṅga-snāpana/abhiṣeka with water (toya), with śraddhā (faith) and śauca (purity).