Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

एवं तां स्नपनं तस्य सदा लिंगस्य कुर्वतीम् । न जानाति जनः कश्चिद्वने वृक्षसमाकुले

Transliteration

evaṃ tāṃ snapanaṃ tasya sadā liṃgasya kurvatīm | na jānāti janaḥ kaścidvane vṛkṣasamākule

Translation

ดังนี้นางกระทำการสรงสนานศิวลึงค์นั้นอยู่เนืองนิตย์ แต่ในป่าที่แน่นทึบด้วยหมู่ไม้ ไม่มีผู้ใดเลยล่วงรู้

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (her)

• स्नपनम्: ablution
• स्नपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (bathing/ablution)

• तस्य: of it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (of it)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (of the liṅga)

• कुर्वतीम्: doing/performing
• कुर्वतीम्: Karma (Object described by participle/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (doing) — ‘ताम्’ इति विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Nipata (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (knows)

• जनः: any person
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (a person/people)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चित/अप्रश्नार्थ (someone/any)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (in the forest)

• वृक्ष: trees
• वृक्ष: Sambandha (Within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (trees)

• समाकुले: crowded
• समाकुले: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (crowded/filled) — ‘वने’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• वृक्षसमाकुले: dense with trees
• वृक्षसमाकुले: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष + समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-अर्थे तत्पुरुष (वृक्षैः समाकुले / वृक्षाणां समाकुले)

Speaker

Narrator (within the Purāṇic dialogue; exact named speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a thick, tree-crowded forest, the cow repeatedly bathes the liṅga; no humans appear, only layered trunks, vines, and dappled light—devotion occurring unseen.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Forest (vana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion does not require an audience; unseen service in sacred places carries profound merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The forest-grove setting of the Kalaśeśvara liṅga in the Śrī Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular liṅga-snapana (ablution/abhiṣeka) is described as ongoing worship.