Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तत्र सिद्धेश्वरंनाम लिंगमस्ति द्विजोत्तमाः । सर्वसिद्धिप्रदं नृणां स्वयं सिद्धिप्रदायकम्

Transliteration

tatra siddheśvaraṃnāma liṃgamasti dvijottamāḥ | sarvasiddhipradaṃ nṛṇāṃ svayaṃ siddhipradāyakam

Translation

Doon, O pinakamainam sa mga dalawang-ulit-na-ipinanganak, may isang liṅga na tinatawag na Siddheśvara—nagkakaloob ng lahat ng siddhi sa mga tao, at siya mismo ang kusang nahayag na tagapagbigay ng siddhi.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘there’)

• सिद्धेश्वरम्: (named) Siddheśvara
• सिद्धेश्वरम्: Samjna/Predicate (Name/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; सिद्ध + ईश्वर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (siddhānām īśvaraḥ: ‘Lord of the Siddhas’, as name)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (अव्ययवत्/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निपातः (particle indicating appellation: ‘by name’)

• लिङ्गम्: a liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (neuter nominative singular)

• अस्ति: is, exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (present indicative, 3rd singular)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija-uttama (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (vocative plural: ‘best of the twice-born’)

• सर्वसिद्धिप्रदम्: bestowing all attainments
• सर्वसिद्धिप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva-siddhi-prada (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + सिद्धि + प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (sarvāḥ siddhīḥ pradadāti: bestowing all siddhis)

• नृणाम्: of men, for people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (masculine genitive plural)

• स्वयम्: by itself, of its own accord
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः/स्वतः क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable: ‘by itself/oneself’)

• सिद्धिप्रदायकम्: a giver of siddhi
• सिद्धिप्रदायकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddhi-pradāyaka (प्रातिपदिक; सिद्धि + प्रदायक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (siddhiṃ pradāyati: giver of siddhi)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the Ṛṣis (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrtha-māhātmya framing; explicit speaker appears later in 12–13)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctum with a prominent black stone liṅga labeled ‘Siddheśvara’, adorned with bilva leaves, white flowers, and a dripping abhiṣeka stream; dvijas stand with añjali as the priest offers ārati.

Characters & Entities

• Siddheśvara
• Liṅga
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred Śiva-liṅga at a tīrtha is portrayed as inherently powerful—bestowing fulfilment and spiritual attainments through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the Siddheśvara-liṅga shrine within the Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrtha-māhātmya setting (the local kṣetra is identified further in the surrounding verses as Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on the liṅga’s nature as a giver of siddhi, implying worship and reverent approach.