Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

निष्कामो वाऽथ संपूज्य लिंगमेतच्छुभावहम् । प्रयास्यति परां सिद्धिं त्रिदशैरपि दुर्लभाम्

Transliteration

niṣkāmo vā'tha saṃpūjya liṃgametacchubhāvaham | prayāsyati parāṃ siddhiṃ tridaśairapi durlabhām

Translation

又若其人无所求欲，唯以至诚圆满礼敬此吉祥灵伽，则将证得至上成就（悉地），即使在诸天之中亦极为罕有。

Word by Word

• niṣkāmaḥ: desireless
• niṣkāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣ-kāma (प्रातिपदिक: niṣ + kāma)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/प्रसङ्गसूचक (sequencing particle)

• saṃpūjya: having duly worshipped
• saṃpūjya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pūj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• śubhāvaham: bringing auspiciousness
• śubhāvaham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha-āvaha (प्रातिपदिक: śubha + āvaha)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• prayāsyati: will attain/go to
• prayāsyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-yā (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• parām: supreme
• parām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• siddhim: attainment, perfection
• siddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tridaśaiḥ: by the gods (thirty)
• tridaśaiḥ: Karana/Agent-comparison (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कारक (particle: even/also)

• durlabhām: hard to obtain
• durlabhām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-labha (प्रातिपदिक: dur + labha)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Indra (contextually continuing from prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuṇḍa-tīrtha liṅga (name not specified)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) sages/assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in quiet composure offers flowers and water to the liṅga with no visible petition; the scene emphasizes stillness—soft light around the liṅga, gods in the sky watching in awe at the ‘rare even for devas’ attainment.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva Liṅga
• Tridaśas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beyond worldly boons, desireless devotion at a sacred Śaiva site can grant the highest spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same kuṇḍa-linked liṅga of Adhyāya 79 is praised as auspicious and liberation-oriented; the proper place-name is not in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Complete worship (saṃpūjā) of the liṅga, especially in a niṣkāma (desireless) spirit.