Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । लिंगे प्रतिष्ठा च कथं शिवं हित्वा प्रवर्तिता । तत्कथ्यतां महाभाग परं शुश्रुषतां हि नः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | liṃge pratiṣṭhā ca kathaṃ śivaṃ hitvā pravartitā | tatkathyatāṃ mahābhāga paraṃ śuśruṣatāṃ hi naḥ

Translation

ऋषय ऊचुः। लिङ्गे प्रतिष्ठा कथं जाताऽऽसीत् शिवं प्रत्यक्षं विहाय वै? तत्कथ्यतां महाभाग, परं शुश्रूषामहे वयम्॥

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

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

• प्रतिष्ठा: installation / establishment
• प्रतिष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having abandoned)

• प्रवर्तिता: was set in motion / was initiated
• प्रवर्तिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथ्यताम्: let it be told / please explain
• कथ्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd; impersonal/passive-style request), एकवचन

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् भागः यस्य (कर्मधारय-रूपेण विशेषण-नाम)

• परम्: fully / exceedingly
• परम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; intensifier)

• शुश्रूषताम्: of us who are eager to listen
• शुश्रूषताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषत् (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रु + desiderative sense)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (present participle used substantively)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sages (Ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedārakṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lomaśa (implied respondent in next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages seated in a Himalayan hermitage, respectfully questioning a venerable narrator about the origin of liṅga installation; the mood is earnest and contemplative.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames a doctrinal inquiry: why liṅga-worship became the central mode of approaching Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question arises in Kedārakhaṇḍa’s pilgrimage setting (Kedāra region), where liṅga worship is especially prominent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation/establishment of the liṅga) is the ritual topic being asked about.