Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

अन्यच्च कारणं दूत प्रोक्तमत्र मनीषिभिः । दुःस्थितं सुस्थितं वापि शिवलिंगं न चालयेत्

Transliteration

anyacca kāraṇaṃ dūta proktamatra manīṣibhiḥ | duḥsthitaṃ susthitaṃ vāpi śivaliṃgaṃ na cālayet

Translation

และยังมีเหตุอีกประการหนึ่ง โอ้ทูต ซึ่งบัณฑิตผู้รู้กล่าวไว้ ณ ที่นี้ว่า: ไม่ว่าศิวลึงค์จะตั้งผิดที่หรือถูกที่ ก็ไม่พึงเคลื่อนย้าย

Word by Word

• अन्यत्: another (thing)
• अन्यत्: Karma/Topic (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कारणम्: reason
• कारणम्: Karma/Topic (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दूत: O messenger
• दूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: stated/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (impersonal ‘has been stated’)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• मनीषिभिः: by the sages/wise men
• मनीषिभिः: Kartr/Agent (Agent/कर्ता-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• दुःस्थितम्: ill-placed
• दुःस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुः (अव्यय-उपसर्ग) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with शिवलिङ्गम्)

• सुस्थितम्: well-placed
• सुस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय-उपसर्ग) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with शिवलिङ्गम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive ‘or’)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (inclusive/emphatic ‘even/also’)

• शिवलिङ्गम्: Śiva-liṅga
• शिवलिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवस्य लिङ्गम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• चालयेत्: should move/disturb
• चालयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (general injunction)

Speaker

Vibhīṣaṇa (continuing the counsel)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dūta (messenger)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise elder or Vibhīṣaṇa instructs a messenger: two liṅgas shown—one slightly tilted (duḥsthita), one perfectly aligned (susthita)—yet both encircled by the same sanctifying aura, with a clear gesture of prohibition against moving them.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaliṅga
• Dūta (messenger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecrated sacred symbols are not to be treated as ordinary objects; stability and reverence toward established liṅgas is itself dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is taught within the Rāmeśvara-centered tīrthamāhātmya context of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear injunction: do not move (cālana) a Śiva-liṅga, regardless of whether it appears well- or ill-situated.