Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

देवदेव उवाच । अद्यप्रभृति मे लिंगं यदि देवा द्विजातयः । पूजयंति प्रयत्नेन तर्हीदं धारयाम्यहम्

Transliteration

devadeva uvāca | adyaprabhṛti me liṃgaṃ yadi devā dvijātayaḥ | pūjayaṃti prayatnena tarhīdaṃ dhārayāmyaham

Translation

ദേവദേവൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇന്നുമുതൽ ദേവന്മാരും ദ്വിജന്മാരും എന്റെ ലിംഗത്തെ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ പൂജിച്ചാൽ, അപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ ഇതിനെ ധരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• देवदेव: the God of gods
• देवदेव: Karta (Speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (देवानां देवः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today)

• प्रभृति: from (now) onward
• प्रभृति: Adhikarana (Temporal starting point)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भार्थक (from/beginning with)

• मे: my/to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Gen./Dat. sg. enclitic)

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

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional ‘if’)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (brāhmaṇas etc.)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject, coordinated with देवाः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वे जात्यौ यस्य/येषाम्)

• पूजयन्ति: worship
• पूजयन्ति: Kriya (Predicate of condition clause)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort; diligently
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• तर्हि: then
• तर्हि: Sambandha (Consequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तर्हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदा-अर्थे (then)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धारयामि: I bear/hold
• धारयामि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → धारय्
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अस्मद्-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Devadeva) declares a vow: if gods and dvijas worship his liṅga diligently from this day, he will uphold it. Devas and brāhmaṇas appear as a unified worship assembly before the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devāḥ
• Dvijātayaḥ (Brāhmaṇas)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustaining sacred order depends on sustained devotion: worship (pūjā) becomes the human-and-divine responsibility that upholds dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Liṅga as the tīrtha’s heart is glorified; the verse provides the devotional mechanism by which the place remains spiritually efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Explicit: regular, effortful Liṅga-pūjā by devas and dvijas (and by extension, devotees).