Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 137

Devanagari script

ततोऽष्टकुलिकान्विप्रान्समाहूयाब्रवीदिदम् । युष्माभिस्तु सदा कार्या चिंता लिंगसमुद्भवा

Transliteration

tato'ṣṭakulikānviprānsamāhūyābravīdidam | yuṣmābhistu sadā kāryā ciṃtā liṃgasamudbhavā

Translation

Kemudian baginda memanggil para brāhmaṇa daripada lapan keturunan lalu bersabda: “Hendaklah kamu sentiasa memelihara amalan suci dan perhatian yang lahir daripada khidmat kepada Śiva-liṅga.”

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• अष्टकुलिकान्: the eight clan-members (eight kulikas)
• अष्टकुलिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टकुलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; अष्टकुलिकान् इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ह्वा (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having called/summoned)

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• युष्माभिः: by you (all)
• युष्माभिः: Karana (Agent in passive/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कार्या: to be done/should be done
• कार्या: Vidhana (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त: कार्य)
• Form: कृत्यप्रत्यय (यत्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• चिन्ता: concern/thought
• चिन्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• लिंगसमुद्भवा: arising from the liṅga (sign/emblem)
• लिंगसमुद्भवा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (सम्-उद्-भू धातु + अच्)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: लिङ्गात् समुद्भवा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; चिन्ता इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Indra (Vāsava/Śakra), contextually addressing the brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṃkūla-liṅga (implied)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king formally convenes eight brahmin lineages; he instructs them to maintain perpetual liṅga-centered observance and care within the temple precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Brāhmaṇas
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent, attentive service to the Śiva-liṅga is presented as a sustained dharmic duty, not a one-time act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya context in Nāgara Khaṇḍa, but this snippet does not name the tirtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A standing instruction to uphold liṅga-related observance/care (liṅga-sevā/maintenance).