Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

दुर्वासा उवाच । मयैतत्स्थापितं लिंगं देवदेवस्य शूलिनः । नृत्यगीतप्रियो यस्माद्देवदेवो महेश्वरः

Transliteration

durvāsā uvāca | mayaitatsthāpitaṃ liṃgaṃ devadevasya śūlinaḥ | nṛtyagītapriyo yasmāddevadevo maheśvaraḥ

Translation

ทุรวาสากล่าวว่า “ลึงค์นี้เราเป็นผู้สถาปนาเพื่อพระศูลิน ผู้เป็นเทวะเหนือเทวะทั้งปวง เพราะพระมหेशวร ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งเทพทั้งหลาย ทรงโปรดการร่ายรำและบทเพลง”

Word by Word

• दुर्वासा: Durvāsā (sage)
• दुर्वासा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• स्थापितम्: installed/established
• स्थापितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच्; स्थापि- (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; एतत्/लिङ्गम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'of the god of gods'); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• शूलिनः: of the trident-bearer
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; देवदेवस्य इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नृत्यगीतप्रियः: fond of dance and song
• नृत्यगीतप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृत्य + गीत + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + तत्पुरुष (नृत्य-गीतयोः प्रियः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; महेश्वरस्य विशेषणम्

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative indeclinable used as causal: 'because/for which reason')

• देवदेवः: the God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (god of gods); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवदेवः इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple (liṅga-pratiṣṭhita-sthāna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā declares with calm authority that he installed the liṅga for Śūlin, explaining that Maheśvara loves dance and song; the devotee’s practice is vindicated.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Śiva
• Maheśvara
• Śūlin
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva accepts and even delights in heartfelt worship expressed through music and dance, not only austere forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A liṅga-tīrtha within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya is implied; the place-name is not stated in this verse alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly validates upacāra of nṛtya and gīta (devotional dance and song) before Śiva-liṅga as acceptable worship.