Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । लिंगभेदोद्भवं तोयं यत्पुरा वः प्रकीर्तितम् । आच्छन्नं पांसुभिः कृत्स्नं वायुना शक्रशासनात्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | liṃgabhedodbhavaṃ toyaṃ yatpurā vaḥ prakīrtitam | ācchannaṃ pāṃsubhiḥ kṛtsnaṃ vāyunā śakraśāsanāt

Translation

Су́та сказал: «Та вода, возникшая из раскола линги — о которой я прежде вам говорил, — была целиком занесена пылью ветром по повелению Индры».

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• लिङ्ग-भेद-उद्भवम्: arising from the splitting of the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-भेद-उद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वः: to you/your
• वः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रकीर्तितम्: was described
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• आच्छन्नम्: covered
• आच्छन्नम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + छद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पांसुभिः: by dust/sand
• पांसुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कृत्स्नम्: entire
• कृत्स्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वायुना: by the wind
• वायुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• शक्र-शासनात्: from Indra's command
• शक्र-शासनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: a sacred liṅga split event releasing water; then Vāyu, driven by Indra’s command, sweeps dust to cover the water-source, hiding it beneath earth.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• liṅga
• Śakra (Indra)
• vāyu (wind)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters are tied to Śaiva symbolism (liṅga) and cosmic administration (Indra), showing tīrthas as divinely grounded realities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A liṅga-connected tīrtha in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, whose waters were once hidden and later re-emerged, underscoring its ancient sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription in this verse; it provides tīrtha-utpatti (origin) and concealment history supporting later snāna praise.