Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अन्योपि च नरो भक्त्या यश्चैनं पूजयिष्यति । सप्तविंशतिलिंगानां सोऽपि श्रेयोऽभिलप्स्यति

Transliteration

anyopi ca naro bhaktyā yaścainaṃ pūjayiṣyati | saptaviṃśatiliṃgānāṃ so'pi śreyo'bhilapsyati

Translation

മറ്റേതെങ്കിലും മനുഷ്യൻ ഭക്തിയോടെ ഇതിനെ (ലിംഗത്തെ) പൂജിച്ചാൽ, അവനും ഇരുപത്തേഴു ലിംഗപൂജയ്ക്ക് തുല്യമായ ശ്രേയസ്സു പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि = ‘also/even’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• एनम्: this (one); him/it
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पूजयिष्यति: will worship
• पूजयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सप्तविंशतिलिङ्गानाम्: of the twenty-seven liṅgas
• सप्तविंशतिलिङ्गानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = ‘also’)

• श्रेयः: the highest good; welfare
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘श्रेयस्’ (comparative noun)

• अभिलप्स्यति: will obtain; will attain
• अभिलप्स्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (Mahādeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgareśvara (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small procession of diverse townspeople—householder, ascetic, traveler—offer flowers and water to the same liṅga, emphasizing universality of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-liṅga
• devotee (nara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred merit is open to all; devotion—not status—qualifies one for śreyaḥ (the highest good).

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The same manifested liṅga (Nāgareśvara) is praised as universally beneficent to pilgrims and worshippers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of this liṅga with devotion; the promised result is elevated welfare and multiplied merit.