Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

इत्येतत्कथितं पार्थ लिंगपंचकसंभवम् । यः पठेत्स्कंदसंबद्धां कथां मर्त्यो महामतिः

Transliteration

ityetatkathitaṃ pārtha liṃgapaṃcakasaṃbhavam | yaḥ paṭhetskaṃdasaṃbaddhāṃ kathāṃ martyo mahāmatiḥ

Translation

ഹേ പാർഥാ, ഇങ്ങനെ പഞ്ചലിംഗങ്ങളുടെ ഉത്ഭവം വിവരിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. സ്കന്ദനുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട ഈ കഥ മഹാമതിയായ മനുഷ്യൻ പാരായണം ചെയ്താൽ—

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (thus)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• kathitam: has been narrated
• kathitam: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; 'एतत्' इत्यस्य विधेयम्

• pārtha: O Pārtha
• pārtha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• liṅga-paṃcaka-saṃbhavam: arising from the five liṅgas
• liṅga-paṃcaka-saṃbhavam: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + paṃcaka (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—'लिङ्गपञ्चकस्य सम्भवम्' (arising from the five liṅgas); 'एतत्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; यत्-सम्बन्धी

• paṭhet: should read
• paṭhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• skaṃda-saṃbaddhām: connected with Skanda
• skaṃda-saṃbaddhām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: skaṃda (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbaddha (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—'स्कन्देन सम्बद्धा' (connected with Skanda); 'कथाम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• kathām: the story
• kathām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• martyaḥ: a mortal
• martyaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• mahā-matiḥ: great-minded/wise
• mahā-matiḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (mahā matiḥ)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced); addressing Arjuna is retained from the received verse vocative

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅga-pañcaka (five-liṅga complex, unspecified here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (as addressed in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator addresses ‘Pārtha’ and concludes the account of the five liṅgas’ origin; a manuscript/palm-leaf text and a small liṅga-pañcaka tableau can appear, emphasizing sacred narration as a ritual act.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Liṅga (five Liṅgas)
• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa and pāṭha (hearing and recitation) of Skanda’s sacred narrative are upheld as dharmic acts that generate merit and refine understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the sanctity of the ‘five Liṅgas’ tradition (liṅgapañcaka), implying a sacred complex tied to Śiva-worship within this Kaumārikā context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation (pāṭha) of the Skanda-connected kathā is prescribed as a meritorious practice.