Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अप्रियं तेजसा हीनं मृतमस्पृश्यतां गतम् । लिंगस्य नातिदूरस्थं दाह्यार्थं यत्नमास्थिताः

Transliteration

apriyaṃ tejasā hīnaṃ mṛtamaspṛśyatāṃ gatam | liṃgasya nātidūrasthaṃ dāhyārthaṃ yatnamāsthitāḥ

Translation

انہوں نے لاش کو دیکھا جو ناگوار، بے نور، مردہ اور ناپاک (ناقابلِ لمس) سمجھی جاتی تھی؛ اس لیے لِنگ سے زیادہ دور نہیں، اس کے دَہن کے لیے کوشش کرنے لگے۔

Word by Word

• apriyam: unpleasant
• apriyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् कलेवरम्/शवम् प्रति (understood)

• tejasā: in splendor/energy
• tejasā: Karana (Instrument/with respect to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• hīnam: devoid (of)
• hīnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (devoid of)

• mṛtam: dead
• mṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (√mṛ धातु + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'dead'

• aspṛśyatām: untouchability
• aspṛśyatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aspṛśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-प्रयोगः = 'state of untouchability'

• gatam: having attained/gone to
• gatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'gone/attained'

• liṅgasya: of the liṅga
• liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Avyaya (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• ati-dūra-stham: not too far away
• ati-dūra-stham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + dūra (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अव्ययपूर्वपद: ati-dūra; ततः 'ati-dūre stham'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थानवाचक)

• dāhya-artham: for cremation/burning
• dāhya-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāhya (√dah धातु + यत्) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष: 'dāhyāya arthaḥ' = for burning), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अर्थम् as purpose-accusative)

• yatnam: effort
• yatnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āsthitāḥ: undertook
• āsthitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'having undertaken/resorted to'

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas stand near the liṅga, looking at the lifeless body—dull, without radiance—then begin arranging materials for a funeral pyre at a respectful distance from the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (Śiva-liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid impurity associated with death, dharmic rites are performed respectfully, with sacred space (liṅga-proximity) shaping the response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The action takes place in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra setting, near the revered liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparation for cremation (dāha) and arranging the rites at a place not far from the liṅga.