Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

तत्कथं तत्र गत्वाऽथ लिंगभेदं करोम्यहम् । स्वयं माहेश्वरो भूत्वा प्रतिज्ञाय च वै स्वयम्

Transliteration

tatkathaṃ tatra gatvā'tha liṃgabhedaṃ karomyaham | svayaṃ māheśvaro bhūtvā pratijñāya ca vai svayam

Translation

ถ้าเช่นนั้น ข้าพเจ้าจะไปที่นั่นแล้วกระทำการทำลายลึงค์ได้อย่างไร? ข้าพเจ้าเองได้เป็นผู้ภักดีต่อพระมหेशวร และได้ให้ปฏิญาณด้วยตนเองแล้ว

Word by Word

• तत्: then/therefore
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (discourse particle ‘then/therefore’)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, absolutive/gerund)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक-निपात (then/now)

• लिङ्गभेदम्: breaking/damaging of the liṅga
• लिङ्गभेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लिङ्गस्य भेदः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• करोमि: do
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: myself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक-निपात

• माहेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)/the great lord
• माहेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् ईश्वरः/महेś्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, absolutive/gerund)

• प्रतिज्ञाय: having vowed/promised
• प्रतिज्ञाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, absolutive; ‘having promised’)

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic ‘indeed’)

• स्वयम्: myself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Vibhīṣaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dūta (messenger)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vibhīṣaṇa stands before a liṅga, hands raised in a gesture of restraint and reverence; a messenger awaits an action, but Vibhīṣaṇa’s face shows firm devotion—he will not break the liṅga; a faint vision of Maheśvara’s presence sanctifies the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Śivaliṅga
• Pratijñā (vow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion and vows create moral constraints: a true Māheśvara will not violate the sanctity of a liṅga or break a sworn promise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Rāmeśvara tīrtha narrative stream within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid liṅga-bheda (damage/violation of the liṅga) and uphold one’s pratijñā, especially in sacred precincts.