Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

तस्माल्लिंगमिति प्रोक्तं देवै रुद्रस्य धीमतः । तोयेन स्नापयेल्लिंगं श्रद्धया शुचिना च यः

Transliteration

tasmālliṃgamiti proktaṃ devai rudrasya dhīmataḥ | toyena snāpayelliṃgaṃ śraddhayā śucinā ca yaḥ

Translation

Maka sebab itu ia dinamakan “Liṅga”, demikianlah para dewa mengisytiharkan, milik Rudra yang bijaksana. Sesiapa yang memandikan Liṅga dengan air, dengan śraddhā (iman) dan kesucian—

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: (it is) liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (उक्तिविषयः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Marker (Quotation/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• प्रोक्तम्: was declared; was said
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (was said)

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• रुद्रस्य: of Rudra
• रुद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धीमतः: of the wise
• धीमतः: Modifier (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रुद्रस्य-विशेषणम्

• तोयेन: with water
• तोयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) (णिच् causative: स्नापय)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

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

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शुचिना: with purity; by one who is pure
• शुचिना: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (स्वशरीर-शुद्ध्या/शुद्धेन) करणत्वेन

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/Ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, clean and focused, pours clear water over a dark stone liṅga; the water streams into a yoni-pīṭha channel, with lamps and bilva leaves nearby; gods witness and affirm the term ‘liṅga’.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful, pure worship of the Liṅga is a direct means to connect with Rudra’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the instruction is universal for Śiva temples and home worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform liṅga-snāpana/abhiṣeka with water (toya), with śraddhā (faith) and śauca (purity).