Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तस्यासीन्नगरस्थस्य प्रतिज्ञा चण्डशर्मणः । सप्तविंशति भिर्लिंगैर्दृष्टैभोक्ष्याम्यहं सदा

Transliteration

tasyāsīnnagarasthasya pratijñā caṇḍaśarmaṇaḥ | saptaviṃśati bhirliṃgairdṛṣṭaibhokṣyāmyahaṃ sadā

Translation

നഗരത്തിൽ താമസിച്ച ചണ്ഡശർമയുടെ പ്രതിജ്ഞ ഇതായിരുന്നു—“ഇരുപത്തേഴു ലിംഗങ്ങൾ ദർശിച്ച ശേഷം മാത്രമേ ഞാൻ എപ്പോഴും ആഹാരം കഴിക്കൂ।”

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• नगरस्थस्य: of the city-dweller
• नगरस्थस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नगर + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; नगरमध्ये स्थितः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः)

• प्रतिज्ञा: a vow, promise
• प्रतिज्ञा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

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

• चण्डशर्मणः: of Caṇḍaśarman
• चण्डशर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; नकारान्त-प्रातिपदिक (शर्मन्)

• सप्तविंशति: twenty-seven
• सप्तविंशति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + विंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-शब्दः; समासः (द्विगुः) ‘सप्त च विंशतिः’ = 27; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गैः)

• भिः: by/with (instrumental plural ending)
• भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भिस् (तृतीया-बहुवचन-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: विभक्ति-प्रत्ययः (Instrumental plural ending) — पदच्छेदे ‘सप्तविंशतिभिः’ इति

• लिङ्गैः: by/with liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• दृष्टैः: seen
• दृष्टैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (दृश् धातु, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (Past Passive Participle) ‘seen’; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गैः)

• भोक्ष्यामि: I shall eat/partake
• भोक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saptaviṃśati-liṅga-darśana-kṣetra (27-liṅga circuit; local name not given here)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Caṇḍaśarmā in a city setting, hands folded, declaring a vow before a small shrine-map or a row of miniature liṅgas symbolizing the twenty-seven; attendants/kinsmen witness his resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍaśarmā
• twenty-seven liṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity tied to devotion: daily needs (food) are subordinated to darśana of Śiva, strengthening discipline and faith.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A liṅga-circuit associated with Sarasvatī-tīra is implied—twenty-seven liṅgas form a sacred geography for pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vrata-niyama: one should eat only after beholding (darśana) twenty-seven Śiva-liṅgas.