Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अत्रीश्वराभिसंज्ञं तु महापापहरं परम् । स्थापयित्वा च तल्लिंगमग्रे चक्रे सरोवरम्

Transliteration

atrīśvarābhisaṃjñaṃ tu mahāpāpaharaṃ param | sthāpayitvā ca talliṃgamagre cakre sarovaram

Translation

Jener Liṅga, Atrīśvara genannt, ist höchst erhaben und tilgt große Sünden. Nachdem er ihn eingesetzt hatte, schuf er davor einen heiligen See.

Word by Word

• अत्रीश्वराभिसंज्ञम्: having the name ‘Atrīśvara’
• अत्रीश्वराभिसंज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्रीश्वर + अभिसंज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—अत्रीश्वरस्य अभिसंज्ञा यस्य तत् (तत्पुरुष)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/contrastive particle)

• महापापहरम्: remover of great sins
• महापापहरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महापापं हरति इति (तत्पुरुष)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थापयित्वा: having स्थापित/installed
• स्थापयित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच्; स्थापयित्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); धातुः—स्था; प्रयोगः—पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having established)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

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

• अग्रे: in front/ahead
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (locative used adverbially); सप्तमी-एकवचन अर्थे—‘अग्रे’ (in front/ahead)

• चक्रे: made/constructed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सरोवरम्: a lake
• सरोवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरोवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Atrīśvara-sarovara (front-lake of Atrīśvara)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage/holy founder completes liṅga-pratiṣṭhā of Atrīśvara; before the shrine a fresh, lotus-filled lake manifests, with attendants carrying kalaśas and ritual implements.

Characters & Entities

• Atrīśvara
• Liṅga
• Sarovara
• Koṭitīrtha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence, localized as a named liṅga, is portrayed as a direct means for purification from grave wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Atrīśvara liṅga and the sarovara created before it, within the Koṭitīrtha sacred complex.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installation) and establishing a sarovara—setting the stage for later bathing and worship rites.