Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21
Devanagari script
पीठिका विष्णुरूपं स्याल्लिंगरूपी महेश्वरः । तस्माल्लिंगार्चनं श्रेष्ठं सर्वेषामपि वै द्विजाः
Transliteration
pīṭhikā viṣṇurūpaṃ syālliṃgarūpī maheśvaraḥ | tasmālliṃgārcanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ sarveṣāmapi vai dvijāḥ
Translation
പീഠിക വിഷ്ണുരൂപവും മഹേശ്വരൻ ലിംഗരൂപവുമാണ്. അതിനാൽ, ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ, ലിംഗാർചന എല്ലാവർക്കും നിശ്ചയമായും ശ്രേഷ്ഠം.
Word by Word
पीठिकाthe pedestal/base
पीठिका:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपीठिका (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन
विष्णु-रूपम्of the form of Viṣṇu
विष्णु-रूपम्:
Pratipadyamāna (Predicate complement/समानााधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः रूपम्)
स्यात्may be/is (should be understood as)
स्यात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
लिङ्ग-रूपीhaving the form of the liṅga
लिङ्ग-रूपी:
Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootलिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य रूपी)
महेश्वरःMaheśvara (Śiva)
महेश्वरः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमहेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन
तस्मात्therefore
तस्मात्:
Hetu/Apadana (Reason/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतस्मात्-इति निपातवत्; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that)
लिङ्ग-अर्चनम्worship of the liṅga
लिङ्ग-अर्चनम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootलिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; √अर्च् (धातु) ल्युट्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य अर्चनम्)
श्रेष्ठम्best
श्रेष्ठम्:
Pratipadyamāna (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन
सर्वेषाम्of all
सर्वेषाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन
अपिalso, even
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)
वैindeed
वै:
Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)
द्विजाःO twice-born (Brāhmaṇas)
द्विजाः:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative-sense though nominative form)
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)
Characters & Entities
V
ViṣṇuM
MaheśvaraFAQs
Liṅga worship is praised as the highest practice, integrating Viṣṇu (as pīṭhikā) and Śiva (as liṅga) in a single act of devotion.
Kedāra/Kedāranātha, where liṅga worship is central to the tīrtha’s māhātmya.
Liṅgārcana (worship of the Śiva-liṅga) is explicitly recommended as the श्रेष्ठ (best) practice.