Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । हरस्य पूज्यते लिंगं कस्मादतन्महामते । विशेषात्संपरित्यज्य शेषांगानि सुरासुरैः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | harasya pūjyate liṃgaṃ kasmādatanmahāmate | viśeṣātsaṃparityajya śeṣāṃgāni surāsuraiḥ

Translation

رِشیوں نے کہا: اے عظیم فہم والے! ہَر (شیو) کے لِنگ کی پوجا کیوں کی جاتی ہے—خصوصاً دیوتاؤں اور اسوروں کے ذریعے—جبکہ اس کے دوسرے اعضا کو الگ رکھ دیا جاتا ہے؟

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन (they said)

• harasya: of Hara (Śiva)
• harasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन (of Hara/Śiva)

• pūjyate: is worshipped
• pūjyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive) (is worshipped)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karta (कर्ता) (in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (here: प्रथमा as passive subject)

• kasmāt: why/from what reason
• kasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन (from what?/why?)

• etan: this
• etan: Karma (कर्म) (with implied verb ‘ask’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (this)

• mahāmate: O great sage
• mahāmate: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-mati (प्रातिपदिक: महा + मति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन (O great-minded one)

• viśeṣāt: especially
• viśeṣāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचन (especially/from distinction)

• saṃparityajya: having abandoned
• saṃparityajya: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saṃ-pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभाव (having completely abandoned)

• śeṣa-aṅgāni: the remaining parts/limbs
• śeṣa-aṅgāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन (the remaining limbs)

• sura-asuraiḥ: by gods and demons
• sura-asuraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन (by gods and demons)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest hermitage assembly: sages seated in a semi-circle, addressing Sūta; in the background a simple stone liṅga on a pedestal with bilva leaves; devas and asuras hinted as distant silhouettes offering flowers, emphasizing universality.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames liṅga-worship as a central Śaiva practice and invites a doctrinal explanation grounded in Purāṇic revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named yet; the question introduces a Śaiva theme that will be tied to tīrtha narratives in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pūjā is referenced as the practice under discussion, without procedural details in this verse.