Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 163

Devanagari script

सारस्वतो वाचिलंगं नाम वागीश्वरेति च । गणा मूर्तिमयं लिंगं नाम रुद्रेति चाब्रुवन्

Transliteration

sārasvato vācilaṃgaṃ nāma vāgīśvareti ca | gaṇā mūrtimayaṃ liṃgaṃ nāma rudreti cābruvan

Translation

சாரஸ்வதன் ‘வாசில’ எனும் லிங்கத்தை நிறுவி அதற்கு ‘வாகீஸ்வரன்’ என்று பெயரிட்டான். கணர்கள் உருவமய லிங்கத்தை செய்து அதன் நாமத்தை ‘ருத்ரன்’ என்று அறிவித்தனர்.

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata (a deity/person)
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण (as subject)

• वाचि-लिङ्गम्: the speech-related liṅga
• वाचि-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाचि (अव्यय/उपपद) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (locative-dependent determinative)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Name-apposition
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/‘by name’)

• वागीश्वर-इति: “Vāgīśvara” (thus)
• वागीश्वर-इति: Name/Quotation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वागीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-प्रयोगः (quotative particle); वागीश्वर-शब्दः उद्धृत-नाम (quoted name)

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

• गणाः: the gaṇas
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मूर्ति-मयम्: made of form/embodiment
• मूर्ति-मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Name-apposition
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/‘by name’)

• रुद्र-इति: “Rudra” (thus)
• रुद्र-इति: Name/Quotation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-प्रयोगः; रुद्र-शब्दः उद्धृत-नाम (quoted name)

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

• अब्रुवन्: said/called
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sārasvata Ṛṣi fashions a liṅga and names it Vāgīśvara; nearby, Śiva’s gaṇas create a form-embodied liṅga and proclaim it Rudra, with a consecration-like solemnity.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Vāgīśvara
• Gaṇāḥ
• Rudra
• Śiva (Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the source of sacred speech and all manifested forms; worship aligns one’s word and being with Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights divine epithets rather than naming a specific pilgrimage location in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the focus is on consecration and naming of liṅgas.