Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

ततः संस्थापितस्तेन तस्मिन्स्थाने सुभक्तितः । दामोदरो रघुश्रेष्ठ कृत्वा प्रासादमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃsthāpitastena tasminsthāne subhaktitaḥ | dāmodaro raghuśreṣṭha kṛtvā prāsādamuttamam

Translation

ثم، يا أفضلَ آلِ رَغهو، وبعبادةٍ خالصةٍ سامية، أقام دَامودَرا في ذلك الموضع بعينه، بعد أن شيّد معبدًا بهيًّا.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = then

• saṃsthāpitaḥ: was installed
• saṃsthāpitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√sthā (धातु) (causative √sthāpay) → saṃsthāpita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'was installed/established'

• tena: by him
• tena: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; 'by him'

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'in that'

• sthāne: place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'place'

• su-bhaktitaḥ: through great devotion
• su-bhaktitaḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय 'भक्तितः' = from devotion/through devotion; अर्थे: 'with great devotion'

• dāmodaraḥ: Dāmodara
• dāmodaraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāmodara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; proper noun (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa epithet)

• raghu-śreṣṭha: O best of the Raghus
• raghu-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; 'रघूणां श्रेष्ठ' = best of the Raghus; सम्बोधन, एकवचन; addressing the king

• kṛtvā: having built/made
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kṛtvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund) = having made

• prāsādam: a temple/palace
• prāsādam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'palace/temple'

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifying 'prāsādam'

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Raghuśreṣṭha/nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king-devotee oversees the consecration of Dāmodara at the tīrtha-site; a newly built splendid temple rises, with flags, kalasha, and priests performing rites; the deity is serene, adorned, and central.

Characters & Entities

• Dāmodara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through deity-installation and temple-building sanctifies a place and becomes a lasting act of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-location in Nāgarakhaṇḍa where Dāmodara is installed; the verse highlights that the site becomes holy through pratiṣṭhā and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (installation) of Dāmodara and construction of a prāsāda (temple) performed with sincere bhakti.