Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

भागद्वयं विरचितं तल्लिङ्गमृषिपुंगव । चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रं वाराहं द्वादशं विदुः

Transliteration

bhāgadvayaṃ viracitaṃ talliṅgamṛṣipuṃgava | caturviṃśatisāhasraṃ vārāhaṃ dvādaśaṃ viduḥ

Translation

اے برگزیدہ رِشی! وہ لِنگ پُران دو حصّوں میں مرتب ہے۔ اہلِ علم واراہ پُران کو بارہواں مانتے ہیں؛ اس میں چوبیس ہزار شلوک ہیں۔

Word by Word

• bhāga-dvayam: two parts
• bhāga-dvayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (संख्यापूर्वकः)

• viracitam: composed/arranged
• viracitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√rac (रच्) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भागद्वयम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• tat-liṅgam: its mark/characteristic
• tat-liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य लिङ्गम्)

• ṛṣi-puṃgava: O best of sages
• ṛṣi-puṃgava: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋषीणां पुंगवः)

• catur-viṃśati-sāhasram: twenty-four thousand
• catur-viṃśati-sāhasram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + sāhasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (२४-सहस्रम्)

• vārāham: the Vārāha (Purāṇa)
• vārāham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पुराणनाम)

• dvādaśam: twelfth
• dvādaśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वाराहम्’ इति विशेषणम् (द्वादशम् = 12th)

• viduḥ: they know/they consider
• viduḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti), addressing Śaunaka and the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣipuṅgava (addressed sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm śāstra-sabhā: a revered ṛṣi addressed as ṛṣipuṅgava listens while a narrator enumerates Purāṇas, their divisions, and verse-counts; palm-leaf manuscripts and a liṅga emblem subtly indicate the Liṅga Purāṇa reference.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga Purāṇa
• Vārāha Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred texts are preserved with known internal structure (parts) and standard counts, supporting faithful recitation and lineage-based transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this verse continues the Purāṇa enumeration rather than describing a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it notes textual division (two parts) and verse-count.