Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अखंडितैर्बिल्वपत्रैः श्रद्धया स्वयमाहृतैः । लिंगप्रपूजनं कृत्वा वर्षलक्षं वसेद्दिवि

Transliteration

akhaṃḍitairbilvapatraiḥ śraddhayā svayamāhṛtaiḥ | liṃgaprapūjanaṃ kṛtvā varṣalakṣaṃ vaseddivi

Translation

ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ സ്വയം കൊണ്ടുവന്ന അഖണ്ഡ ബില്വപത്രങ്ങളാൽ ശിവലിംഗത്തെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ സ്വർഗത്തിൽ ലക്ഷവർഷം വസിക്കും.

Word by Word

• अखण्डितैः: unbroken
• अखण्डितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखण्डित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (बिल्वपत्रैः)

• बिल्वपत्रैः: with bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व-पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचकं (adverb)

• आहृतैः: brought (by oneself)
• आहृतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु) + क्त (आहृत)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘आहृत’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (बिल्वपत्रैः)

• लिङ्गप्रपूजनम्: worship of the liṅga
• लिङ्गप्रपूजनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-प्रपूजन (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: लिङ्ग + प्रपूजन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund): ‘having done’

• वर्षलक्षम्: for a lakh years
• वर्षलक्षम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष-लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: वर्ष + लक्ष)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कालपरिमाणवाचकं (duration)

• वसेत्: would dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (द्यु/दिव्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa typically Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee collects bilva leaves from a tree with reverence, then performs elaborate liṅga worship; the concluding vision hints at celestial realms (svarga) as a luminous backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Bilva (Aegle marmelos)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful, careful offerings in Śiva worship—especially pure, intact bilva leaves—are praised as highly meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it emphasizes the general dharma of Śiva-liṅga worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform liṅga worship using unbroken bilva leaves that one has personally collected with śraddhā.