Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 156

Devanagari script

वैडूर्यं राघवो लिंगं जगज्ज्येष्ठेति नाम च । बाणो मारकतं लिंगं वसिष्ठमिति नाम च

Transliteration

vaiḍūryaṃ rāghavo liṃgaṃ jagajjyeṣṭheti nāma ca | bāṇo mārakataṃ liṃgaṃ vasiṣṭhamiti nāma ca

Translation

Rāghava memuja liṅga daripada permata mata kucing (vaiḍūrya), menamakannya “Jagajjyeṣṭha” (Yang Tertua di alam). Bāṇa memuja liṅga daripada zamrud (mārakata), menamakannya “Vasiṣṭha”.

Word by Word

• vaiḍūryam: vaiḍūrya (cat's-eye gem)
• vaiḍūryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiḍūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• rāghavaḥ: Rāghava
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• jagat-jyeṣṭha-iti: “Jagajjyeṣṭha” (thus)
• jagat-jyeṣṭha-iti: Sambandha (Quotation/Naming)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदik) + jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थ ‘इति’; jagajjyeṣṭha = नाम (quoted)

• nāma: name; called
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; naming usage

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• bāṇaḥ: Bāṇa
• bāṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• mārakatam: emerald
• mārakatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārakata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• vasiṣṭha-iti: “Vasiṣṭha” (thus)
• vasiṣṭha-iti: Sambandha (Quotation/Naming)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थ ‘इति’; vasiṣṭha = नाम (quoted)

• nāma: name; called
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; naming usage

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa default attribution

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāghava offers flowers to a cat’s-eye gem liṅga that gleams with a moving band of light; Bāṇa worships an emerald liṅga glowing green, with the names ‘Jagajjyeṣṭha’ and ‘Vasiṣṭha’ inscribed on hanging banners in the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava
• Bāṇa
• Śiva
• Jagajjyeṣṭha
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s supremacy is praised through exalted titles; devotional naming (nāma) consecrates even rare gem-forms into sacred presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a devotional catalogue of liṅga materials and Śiva-nāmas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invocation of Śiva by the names ‘Jagajjyeṣṭha’ and ‘Vasiṣṭha’ during worship of gem-made liṅgas.