Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अथ सा निजयूथस्य सदाग्रे तृणवांछया । भ्रममाणा निकुञ्जांते लिंगं देवस्य शूलिनः

Transliteration

atha sā nijayūthasya sadāgre tṛṇavāṃchayā | bhramamāṇā nikuñjāṃte liṃgaṃ devasya śūlinaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൾ തന്റെ കൂട്ടത്തിന്റെ മുൻഭാഗത്ത് പുല്ല് തേടി അലഞ്ഞ് കുഞ്ചത്തിന്റെ അറ്റത്ത് എത്തി; അവിടെ ത്രിശൂലധാരിയായ പരമേശ്വരന്റെ ലിംഗം ദർശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/सम्बन्धबोधक (then/now)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (she)

• निज: own
• निज: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण (own) — ‘यूथस्य’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• यूथस्य: of (her) herd
• यूथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (of the herd/flock)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (in front/ahead)

• तृण: grass
• तृण: Karma (Object within compound/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (grass)

• वाञ्छया: by desire
• वाञ्छया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; हेतु/निमित्त (by/with desire)

• तृणवाञ्छया: with desire for grass
• तृणवाञ्छया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण + वाञ्छा (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तृणस्य वाञ्छा) = grass-desire

• भ्रममाणा: wandering
• भ्रममाणा: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (wandering)

• निकुञ्ज: grove
• निकुञ्ज: Adhikarana (Location within compound/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकुञ्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (grove)

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (at the end)

• निकुञ्जान्ते: at the end of the grove
• निकुञ्जान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकुञ्ज + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (निकुञ्जस्य अन्ते)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (liṅga/emblem)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (of the god)

• शूलिनः: of Śūlin (trident-bearer)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive apposition/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण-नाम (of the trident-bearer)

Speaker

Narrator (within the Purāṇic dialogue; exact named speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ) addressed in the surrounding narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cow at the head of her herd reaches the edge of a dense grove; half-hidden among roots and leaf-shadow stands a Śiva-liṅga, calm yet commanding, suggesting a self-manifest presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śūlin)
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple, natural movements can lead to divine encounter; sacred places reveal themselves through providence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kalaśeśvara liṅga within the Śrī Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit injunction; it sets the scene for liṅga-related worship (abhiṣeka) that follows.