Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

जितेंद्रियाणां शांतानां तन्निष्ठानां महात्मनाम् । सुलभो लिंगरूपी स्याद्भवतां हि सुदुर्लभः

Transliteration

jiteṃdriyāṇāṃ śāṃtānāṃ tanniṣṭhānāṃ mahātmanām | sulabho liṃgarūpī syādbhavatāṃ hi sudurlabhaḥ

Translation

جن مہاتماؤں نے حواس کو فتح کر لیا، جو پرسکون ہیں اور اسی حقیقت میں ثابت قدم ہیں—ان کے لیے لِنگ روپ پرمیشور آسانی سے حاصل ہوتا ہے؛ مگر تمہارے لیے وہ یقیناً نہایت دشوار ہے۔

Word by Word

• jita-indriyāṇām: of those whose senses are conquered
• jita-indriyāṇām: Genitive qualifier (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (√ji, धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जितानि इन्द्रियाणि येषाम्); ‘jita’ = क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• śāntānām: of the peaceful ones
• śāntānām: Genitive qualifier (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (√śam, धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; क्त-कृदन्त विशेषणम् (महात्मनाम्)

• tat-niṣṭhānām: of those devoted to Him/that
• tat-niṣṭhānām: Genitive qualifier (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्मिन् निष्ठा येषाम्)

• mahātmanām: of great-souled ones
• mahātmanām: Genitive qualifier (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

• sulabhaḥ: easily obtainable
• sulabhaḥ: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-labha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (liṃgarūpī)

• liṅga-rūpī: having the form of the liṅga
• liṅga-rūpī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गरूपः/लिङ्गरूपी)

• syāt: would be / is (in the sense of ‘is found to be’)
• syāt: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhavatām: for you (honorific), of you
• bhavatām: Genitive qualifier (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनामवत्, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; आदरार्थक ‘भवत्’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• su-durlabhaḥ: very hard to obtain
• su-durlabhaḥ: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (liṅgarūpī)

Speaker

Nandī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāranātha Liṅga (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā and the assembled devas/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandin indicates a radiant liṅga while serene ascetics stand in meditative posture; the liṅga appears luminous and ‘near’ to the tranquil, while the distracted remain at a distance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Indriyas (senses)
• Mahātmans

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liṅga-form Śiva is readily realized by the self-controlled and steady-minded; spiritual access depends on inner discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kedāra’s Śaiva sphere where Liṅga-worship is central; the verse stresses the inner fitness needed to receive its merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-upāsanā is implied, supported by prerequisites: sense-conquest, peace, and steadfast contemplation.