Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

इत्याह भगवान्रुद्रः स्कन्दस्य प्रीतये पुरा । एवमेव चतुर्थं च स्थापितं लिंगमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ityāha bhagavānrudraḥ skandasya prītaye purā | evameva caturthaṃ ca sthāpitaṃ liṃgamuttamam

Translation

هكذا تكلّم رودرا المبارك قديمًا ابتغاء سرور سكَندا. وعلى هذا النحو عينه أُقيم أيضًا لِنْغا رابعٌ فائق.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निदर्शन-अव्यय (Quotative particle)

• āha: said
• āha: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Apposition (Same as subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• skandasya: of Skanda
• skandasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• prītaye: for (his) pleasure
• prītaye: Sampradāna (Purpose/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• purā: formerly, in the past
• purā: Kālādhi karaṇa (Time adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (Temporal adverb)

• evam: thus, in this manner
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (Manner adverb)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (Emphatic particle)

• caturtham: the fourth
• caturtham: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction)

• sthāpitam: was established
• sthāpitam: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• liṅgam: liṅga (emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma/Pradhāna (Thing established/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• uttamam: excellent, supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of liṅga/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta) quoting Rudra; Rudra is the referenced speaker within the verse

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) audience; Skanda is the beneficiary within the story

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra speaks solemnly, with Skanda nearby delighted; priests and attendants prepare a consecration space; an ‘excellent fourth liṅga’ is shown being set upon a pedestal with ritual vessels and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Skanda
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine speech and sacred installation (liṅga-sthāpana) sanctify a place and transmit enduring merit to devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Staṃbheśvara/saṅgama region where multiple liṅgas are being established as part of the site’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (establishing a Śiva-liṅga), presented as a meritorious act within the tīrtha narrative.