Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

केचिल्लिंगानि पंचापि युद्धं केचिद्दिवं ययुः । ततोंऽतरिक्षे चालिंग्य महासेनं हरोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

kecilliṃgāni paṃcāpi yuddhaṃ keciddivaṃ yayuḥ | tatoṃ'tarikṣe cāliṃgya mahāsenaṃ haro'bravīt

Translation

ചിലർ അഞ്ചു ലിംഗങ്ങളും ഏറ്റെടുത്തു, ചിലർ യുദ്ധത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി, ചിലർ സ്വർഗത്തിലേക്ക് ഗമിച്ചു. തുടർന്ന് ആകാശമധ്യേ മഹാസേനനെ ആലിംഗനം ചെയ്ത് ഹരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kecit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या-अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; (अत्र) नपुंसक-बहुवचनार्थे विशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत् प्रयुक्तम्

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kecit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः/दिव्), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ययुः: they went
• ययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Source/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (from there/then)

• अन्तरिक्षे: in the sky/atmosphere
• अन्तरिक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antarikṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आलिङ्ग्य: having embraced
• आलिङ्ग्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√liṅg (धातु) → āliṅgya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• महासेनम्: Mahāsena (Skanda)
• महासेनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + sena (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती सेना यस्य/महासेनः—नाम)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Nārada (narration); Hara (Śiva) about to speak

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-liṅga (implied complex)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāsena (Skanda)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Some devas carry five liṅgas; others ascend to heaven; others move toward battle. In the sky, Hara embraces Mahāsena (Skanda) and speaks—clouds, aerial chariots, and a radiant aura frame the embrace.

Characters & Entities

• Five Liṅgas
• Mahāsena (Skanda)
• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred symbols (liṅgas) and divine missions coexist: worship and sanctity accompany cosmic battles, guided by Śiva and Skanda.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse references a five-liṅga sacred complex tied to the chapter’s kṣetra; the exact tīrtha-name is supplied in the surrounding passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit reverence for the pañca-liṅgas; no direct procedural rite is stated in this verse.