Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

नंद्युवाच । लिंगानामपि पूज्यं स्याद्बाणलिंगं त्वया कथम् । कथितं चोत्तमत्वेन तत्सर्वं वदसुव्रत

Transliteration

naṃdyuvāca | liṃgānāmapi pūjyaṃ syādbāṇaliṃgaṃ tvayā katham | kathitaṃ cottamatvena tatsarvaṃ vadasuvrata

Translation

นันทีกล่าวว่า: “แม้ในบรรดาศิวลึงค์ทั้งหลาย เหตุใดท่านจึงประกาศบาณลึงค์ว่าเป็นที่ควรบูชา—และยังว่าเลิศที่สุด? โอ้ผู้มีพรตอันประเสริฐ จงบอกข้าทั้งหมดเถิด”

Word by Word

• नन्दी: Nandī
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• लिङ्गानाम्: of liṅgas
• लिङ्गानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ

• पूज्यम्: worthy to be worshipped
• पूज्यम्: Karma/Predicate (Object/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; पूज् धातोः)
• Form: कर्मणि-भावे क्तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• बाणलिङ्गम्: the bāṇa-liṅga (arrow-shaped liṅga)
• बाणलिङ्गम्: Karma/Predicate (Object/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बाणस्य लिङ्गम्)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• कथितम्: has been stated/told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• उत्तमत्वेन: as (being) the best; with superiority
• उत्तमत्वेन: Hetu/Prakaraṇa (Manner/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तमत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वद: tell/say
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• सुव्रत: O good-vowed one
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nandī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) bāṇa-liṅga source (implied)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumāra (Skanda)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandī, the bull-emblem attendant of Śiva, respectfully questions Kumāra (Skanda) about why the bāṇa-liṅga is considered foremost among liṅgas.

Characters & Entities

• Nandī
• Bāṇa-liṅga
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture encourages inquiry into why certain sacred forms (like Bāṇa-liṅga) are specially praised for worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Śaiva setting; the Bāṇa-liṅga discussion points toward river-origin liṅgas (explained next).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests guidance on Bāṇa-liṅga worship and its preeminence.