Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

वयं सर्वेऽत्र वांछामो लिगसंस्थापनक्रियाम् । कर्तुं प्रासादमुख्यानां पृथक्त्वेन स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

vayaṃ sarve'tra vāṃchāmo ligasaṃsthāpanakriyām | kartuṃ prāsādamukhyānāṃ pṛthaktvena svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

আমরা সকলেই এখানে শিবলিঙ্গ-প্রতিষ্ঠার ক্রিয়া সম্পাদন করতে চাই; এবং প্রত্যেকে নিজ নিজ সামর্থ্য অনুযায়ী পৃথকভাবে শ্রেষ্ঠ মন্দির-প্রাসাদ নির্মাণের ব্যবস্থা করতে চাই।

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन (1st person pronoun; nom. pl.)

• सर्वे: all (of us)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.); विशेषण

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• वाञ्छामः: we desire
• वाञ्छामः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (present; 1st pl.)

• लिङ्ग-संस्थापन-क्रियाम्: the rite of installing the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-संस्थापन-क्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थापन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्-√स्था + णिच् ‘to establish’) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः (act of establishing the liṅga)

• कर्तुम्: to perform
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); प्रयोजन/इच्छार्थ (to do)

• प्रासाद-मुख्यानाम्: of the temples and the like
• प्रासाद-मुख्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (masc. gen. pl.); ‘प्रासादादीनाम्’ (of the temples/buildings etc.)

• पृथक्त्वेन: separately, individually
• पृथक्त्वेन: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन रूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (instrumental used adverbially); प्रकारवाचक (separately)

• स्व-शक्तितः: according to our own capacity
• स्व-शक्तितः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb); कारण/परिमाणवाचक (according to one’s own ability)

Speaker

Local devotees/hosts petitioning the brāhmaṇas (contextual narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council scene: Kauravas and Yādavas declare their collective intent to establish Śiva-liṅgas and build distinct grand shrines, each patron taking responsibility according to means; architectural plans and ritual vessels are visible.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Prāsāda (temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred works should be undertaken with devotion and realism—each person contributes according to their capacity, yet the collective act becomes a great dharmic offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāga-associated tīrtha in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, where establishing a liṅga and building shrines is praised as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-saṃsthāpana (liṅga installation) and prāsāda-nirmāṇa/arrangement (temple establishment), individualized by one’s means.