Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अथ तुष्टो महादेवस्तस्य भक्त्यतिरेकतः । निर्भिद्य धरणीपृष्ठं तस्य लिंगमदर्शयत्

Transliteration

atha tuṣṭo mahādevastasya bhaktyatirekataḥ | nirbhidya dharaṇīpṛṣṭhaṃ tasya liṃgamadarśayat

Translation

پھر اُس کی بھکتی کی فراوانی سے خوش ہو کر مہادیو نے زمین کی سطح کو چیر دیا اور اُسے اپنا لِنگ ظاہر فرما دیا۔

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (discourse/temporal particle) — 'then'

• तुष्टः: pleased
• तुष्टः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √तुष्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम् — 'pleased' (qualifying महादेवः)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम् — 'Mahādeva'

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम् — 'of him'

• भक्ति-अतिरेकतः: due to (his) great devotion
• भक्ति-अतिरेकतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अतिरेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे पञ्चमी (ablative of cause) — 'because of excess of devotion'

• निर्भिद्य: having split open
• निर्भिद्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), उपसर्गः निर्-, धातुः √भिद् (to split) — 'having split open'

• धरणीपृष्ठम्: the earth’s surface
• धरणीपृष्ठम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम् — 'the surface of the earth'

• तस्य: his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम् — 'his'

• लिंगम्: liṅga
• लिंगम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम् — 'liṅga'

• अदर्शयत्: showed/revealed
• अदर्शयत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) — 'caused to be seen/showed'

Speaker

Narrator (implied Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ground splits open with a radiant fissure; from within emerges a luminous liṅga as Mahādeva’s presence is felt—light, ash-white aura, and trembling earth; the devotee stands awestruck with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Śiva-liṅga
• earth (dharaṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense bhakti draws divine grace; the sacred manifests where devotion is steadfast.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A liṅga-manifestation narrative tied to the Nāgareśvara sacred setting within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s pilgrimage theology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it narrates the divine response to devoted liṅga-worship.