Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अप्रियं तेजसा हीनं मृतमस्पृश्यतां गतम् । लिंगस्य नातिदूरस्थं दाह्यार्थं यत्नमास्थिताः

Transliteration

apriyaṃ tejasā hīnaṃ mṛtamaspṛśyatāṃ gatam | liṃgasya nātidūrasthaṃ dāhyārthaṃ yatnamāsthitāḥ

Translation

അപ്രിയവും തേജസ്സില്ലാത്തതും മരിച്ചതും അസ്പൃശ്യമായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെട്ടതുമായ ആ ദേഹം കണ്ടിട്ട്, ലിംഗത്തിൽ നിന്ന് അതിദൂരമല്ലാത്തിടത്ത് ദഹനാർത്ഥം അവർ ശ്രമം തുടങ്ങി।

Word by Word

• apriyam: unpleasant
• apriyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् कलेवरम्/शवम् प्रति (understood)

• tejasā: in splendor/energy
• tejasā: Karana (Instrument/with respect to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• hīnam: devoid (of)
• hīnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (devoid of)

• mṛtam: dead
• mṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (√mṛ धातु + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'dead'

• aspṛśyatām: untouchability
• aspṛśyatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aspṛśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-प्रयोगः = 'state of untouchability'

• gatam: having attained/gone to
• gatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'gone/attained'

• liṅgasya: of the liṅga
• liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Avyaya (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• ati-dūra-stham: not too far away
• ati-dūra-stham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + dūra (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अव्ययपूर्वपद: ati-dūra; ततः 'ati-dūre stham'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थानवाचक)

• dāhya-artham: for cremation/burning
• dāhya-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāhya (√dah धातु + यत्) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष: 'dāhyāya arthaḥ' = for burning), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अर्थम् as purpose-accusative)

• yatnam: effort
• yatnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āsthitāḥ: undertook
• āsthitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'having undertaken/resorted to'

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas stand near the liṅga, looking at the lifeless body—dull, without radiance—then begin arranging materials for a funeral pyre at a respectful distance from the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (Śiva-liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid impurity associated with death, dharmic rites are performed respectfully, with sacred space (liṅga-proximity) shaping the response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The action takes place in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra setting, near the revered liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparation for cremation (dāha) and arranging the rites at a place not far from the liṅga.