Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 183

Devanagari script

स्कंदः पाषाणलिंगं च नाम सेनान्य एव च । नागश्चाश्वतरो धान्यं मध्यमेत्यस्य नाम च

Transliteration

skaṃdaḥ pāṣāṇaliṃgaṃ ca nāma senānya eva ca | nāgaścāśvataro dhānyaṃ madhyametyasya nāma ca

Translation

斯坎达礼敬石制林伽，名为“Senānī”（统帅）。又有名为阿湿伐多罗（Aśvatara）的那伽，礼敬以谷粮所成之林伽，其名为“Madhyama”（居中者）。

Word by Word

• स्कंदः: Skanda
• स्कंदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पाषाणलिङ्गम्: stone liṅga
• पाषाणलिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषाण + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पाषाणस्य लिङ्गम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नाम: (as) the name
• नाम: Visheshana (Appositive/नाम-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; वाक्ये ‘इति नाम’ प्रयोगे अव्ययीभाववत्

• सेनानी: the commander
• सेनानी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नागः: Nāga
• नागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अश्वतरः: Aśvatara
• अश्वतरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धान्यम्: grain/food
• धान्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मध्यम्: the middle (one)
• मध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अस्य: of this/of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-सामान्य (of him/it)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Visheshana (Appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अस्य नाम’ = “its name”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda reverently worships a simple stone liṅga named Senānī; nearby the Nāga Aśvatara offers a grain-made liṅga called Madhyama, suggesting a sacred assembly of varied devotees and materials.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Senānī
• Nāga
• Aśvatara
• Madhyama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Different divine beings honor Śiva through distinctive forms, showing that the One Lord is praised through many names and symbols.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indicates stone-liṅga worship and grain-based symbolic liṅga worship as valid devotional modes.