Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । अचलं सर्वलिंगं स्यात्सर्वत्रापि द्विजोत्तम । कि पुनः प्रथमं यच्च ब्रह्मणा निर्मितं स्वयम्

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | acalaṃ sarvaliṃgaṃ syātsarvatrāpi dvijottama | ki punaḥ prathamaṃ yacca brahmaṇā nirmitaṃ svayam

Translation

ശ്രീഭഗവാൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു— ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ! എല്ലായിടത്തും എല്ലാ ലിംഗങ്ങളും അചലമാണ്; പിന്നെ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് സ്വയം നിർമ്മിച്ച ആ ആദിലിംഗം എത്രയോ അധികം അചലമല്ലോ.

Word by Word

• श्रीभगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• श्रीभगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + भगवान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘श्रीमान् भगवान्’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अचलम्: immovable
• अचलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘immovable’

• सर्वलिङ्गम्: every liṅga
• सर्वलिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; समासः—सर्वलिङ्ग = ‘every liṅga / all liṅgas’

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक); ‘everywhere’

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Discourse particle (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; ‘also/even’)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विजोत्तम = ‘best of the twice-born’

• किम्: what (then)?
• किम्: Discourse particle (Interrogative/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (प्रश्नार्थक-निपात); ‘what then?’

• पुनः: moreover
• पुनः: Discourse particle (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण); ‘again; moreover’

• प्रथमम्: the first
• प्रथमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘first’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘which/that’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय); ‘and’

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• निर्मितम्: created
• निर्मितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘made/created’

• स्वयम्: by himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); ‘by oneself/oneself’

Speaker

Śiva (Śrī Bhagavān)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (Citraśarman)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord instructs the brāhmaṇa: a calm teaching posture, hand raised in assurance; behind, a symbolic vision of countless liṅgas standing firm across the worlds, with a more radiant ‘prathama’ liṅga hinted at.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva affirms the inherent sanctity and fixed nature of the liṅga, especially one of primordial and Brahmā-sanctioned origin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hāṭakeśvara tradition is reinforced by emphasizing the special status of the Brahmā-made primal liṅga associated with this Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it provides a doctrinal reason why a liṅga is not ordinarily “moved,” shaping how installation traditions are understood.