Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

न मां देव निरीक्षन्ते नालपंति कथंचन । पद्मं तत्र मया देव स्थापितं लिंग मूर्धनि

Transliteration

na māṃ deva nirīkṣante nālapaṃti kathaṃcana | padmaṃ tatra mayā deva sthāpitaṃ liṃga mūrdhani

Translation

ഹേ ദേവാ! അവർ എന്നെ നോക്കുന്നതുപോലും ഇല്ല; യാതൊരു വിധത്തിലും എന്നോട് സംസാരിക്കുന്നുമില്ല. അവിടെ, ഹേ ദേവാ, ലിംഗത്തിന്റെ ശിരസ്സിൽ ഞാൻ ഒരു പദ്മം (താമര) സ്ഥാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• निरीक्षन्ते: they look at/observe
• निरीक्षन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• आलपन्ति: they speak/address
• आलपन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथंचन: in any manner/at all
• कथंचन: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner), ‘in any way’

• पद्मम्: a lotus
• पद्मम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent/instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष सर्वनाम; तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• स्थापितम्: placed/installed
• स्थापितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense ‘to cause to stand’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (पद्मम् इति कर्मणि विशेषण)

• लिङ्गे: on the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• मूर्धनि: on the head/top
• मूर्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Nandikeśvara

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅga-sthāna in Kailāsa precinct (implied)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Devā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene liṅga stands; Nandin places a fresh lotus on its crown (mūrdhan), while meditating yogins nearby neither look nor speak; the lotus glows as the true communication.

Characters & Entities

• Nandikeśvara
• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Lotus (Padma)
• Yogins (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion is shown through reverent worship (like offering a lotus to the Liṅga) and respectful engagement, not cold egoic silence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, emphasizing Śiva-liṅga devotion within its sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An offering to the Liṅga is described: placing a lotus on the top of the Śiva-liṅga.