Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कपालेश्वमन्यच्च चतुर्थं परिकीर्तितम् । एकैकं सर्वलिंगानां फलं यच्छत्यसंशयम् । यथोक्तविधिना सम्यग्यथोक्तं द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

kapāleśvamanyacca caturthaṃ parikīrtitam | ekaikaṃ sarvaliṃgānāṃ phalaṃ yacchatyasaṃśayam | yathoktavidhinā samyagyathoktaṃ dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

“และยังมีศิวลึงค์อีกองค์หนึ่งนามว่า กปาเลศวร ซึ่งกล่าวขานว่าเป็นองค์ที่สี่ ศิวลึงค์แต่ละองค์ในบรรดาทั้งหมดนี้—ปราศจากข้อสงสัย—ย่อมประทานผลแห่งศิวลึงค์ทั้งปวง เมื่อบูชาอย่างถูกต้องตามวิธีที่กล่าวไว้ โอ้ท่านผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่ทวิชะ”

Word by Word

• kapāleśvam: Kapāleśvara
• kapāleśvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapāla-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; कपाल + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; नाम-विशेष (Kapāleśvara)

• anyat: another
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; 'another' (liṅgam understood)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• caturtham: the fourth
• caturtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (the fourth)

• parikīrtitam: is proclaimed
• parikīrtitam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-kīrtita (कृदन्त; √kīrt कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्गः परि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (mentioned/proclaimed)

• ekaikam: each (one)
• ekaikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka-eka (प्रातिपदिक; पुनरुक्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रयोगः (each, one by one)

• sarvaliṃgānām: of all liṅgas
• sarvaliṃgānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-liṅga (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + लिंग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• phalam: fruit; result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• yacchati: grants
• yacchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yam (धातु; √yam यम् 'to give/offer' in causative sense √yā?; here from √yam with meaning 'to grant')
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• asaṃśayam: undoubtedly
• asaṃśayam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक; अ + संशय)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: without doubt)

• yathokta-vidhinā: by the prescribed method
• yathokta-vidhinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yathā-ukta-vidhi (प्रातिपदिक; यथा + उक्त + विधि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; साधन (by the prescribed procedure)

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (properly)

• yathoktam: as stated
• yathoktam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā-ukta (कृदन्त; √vac वच् (धातु) + क्त; with yathā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत्; क्रियाविशेषण (as stated)

• dvijasattamāḥ: O best of the twice-born
• dvijasattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija-sattama (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara (among principal liṅgas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-sattamas/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triad/quartet of liṅga shrines is shown; Kapāleśvara is highlighted with skull-bowl symbolism (kapāla) in iconographic motifs; priests perform orderly vidhi—abhisheka, bilva, lamps—while a narrator emphasizes ‘without doubt’.

Characters & Entities

• Kapāleśvara (Liṅga/Śiva)
• Sarva-liṅga-phala (aggregate merit of all Liṅga-darśana/pūjā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper, rule-based devotion (yathokta-vidhi) at a sanctified liṅga can yield comprehensive spiritual merit, emphasizing sincerity and dharmic procedure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same tīrtha setting of Adhyāya 266 in Nāgara Khaṇḍa, highlighting Kapāleśvara as one of the principal liṅgas of the locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship is to be performed ‘yathokta-vidhi’—according to the prescribed method—implying correct observances in liṅga-pūjā and tīrtha practice.