Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कस्मिन्काले नरेन्द्रेण धृतराष्ट्रेण भूभुजा । तत्र संस्थापितं लिगं वद त्वं रौमहर्षणे

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kasminkāle narendreṇa dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa bhūbhujā | tatra saṃsthāpitaṃ ligaṃ vada tvaṃ raumaharṣaṇe

Translation

قال الحكماء: «في أيّ زمانٍ أقام الملك دْهْرِتَرَاشْتْرَ، سيّد الناس، ذلك اللِنْغَ هناك؟ أخبرنا يا روماهَرْشَنَة.»

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरेन्द्रेण: by the king (lord of men)
• नरेन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• धृतराष्ट्रेण: by Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• भूभुजा: by the ruler/king (earth-enjoyer)
• भूभुजा: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संस्थापितम्: installed/established
• संस्थापितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्थाप् (धातु) → संस्थापित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रौमहर्षणे: O Romaharṣaṇa
• रौमहर्षणे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौमहर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Romaharṣaṇa/Sūta (as addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest-āśrama setting: a circle of ṛṣis with matted hair and deer-skins question Romaharṣaṇa (Sūta) seated respectfully, palm-leaf manuscript nearby; the unseen focal point is a distant liṅga at the tīrtha being discussed.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sūta (Romaharṣaṇa)
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places preserve dharma through remembered history; inquiry into consecration-time reinforces reverence and right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same liṅga-sthāna “there” in the narrated kṣetra (Skandapura/Camatkārapura region) where Dhṛtarāṣṭra performed installation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the sages request the historical context (kāla) of the liṅga’s installation.