Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

एवं नंदी महाभागो बहून्यब्दानि चार्च्चयत् । विजनस्थं तदा लिंगं नानाभोगसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

evaṃ naṃdī mahābhāgo bahūnyabdāni cārccayat | vijanasthaṃ tadā liṃgaṃ nānābhogasamanvitam

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ മഹാഭാഗനായ നന്ദി അനേകം വർഷങ്ങൾ ലിംഗത്തെ ആരാധിച്ചു। അപ്പോൾ ആ നിർജനസ്ഥാനത്ത് ആ ലിംഗം നാനാവിധ ഉപഹാരങ്ങൾ, ഭോഗങ്ങൾ, സേവകൾ എന്നിവയാൽ സമന്വിതമായി വിരാജിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-बोधक अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• नन्दी: Nandin
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाभागः: the very fortunate
• महाभागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नन्दी); समासः—महान्+भागः (कर्मधारयः)

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अब्दानि)

• अब्दानि: years
• अब्दानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• अर्चयत्: (he) worshipped
• अर्चयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विजनस्थम्: situated in a solitary place
• विजनस्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विजनस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्); समासः—विजन+स्थ (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘in a lonely place’)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-बोधक अव्यय (adverb: then)

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

• नानाभोगसमन्वितम्: endowed with various enjoyments/benefits
• नानाभोगसमन्वितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना+भोग+समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्); समासः—नाना+भोग (कर्मधारयः) + समन्वित (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: ‘endowed with’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandī, the blessed attendant, worships year after year; the liṅga stands in a quiet, unpeopled sanctuary, surrounded by varied offerings and arranged services—lamps, garlands, vessels—suggesting uninterrupted ritual life.

Characters & Entities

• Nandī
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kedāra (implied kṣetra context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, long-term worship (niṣṭhā) sanctifies even remote places and makes them radiant with divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra region’s secluded liṅga-shrine, central to the Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sthala-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a single act but sustained arcana over years—continuous seva and offerings (bhoga) to the liṅga.