Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्सरसि स्थेयं तीर्थैः सर्वैरथात्र च । एकस्मिंश्च तथा लिंगे सर्वलिंगैर्ममार्चनात्

Transliteration

etasminsarasi stheyaṃ tīrthaiḥ sarvairathātra ca | ekasmiṃśca tathā liṃge sarvaliṃgairmamārcanāt

Translation

„In diesem See sollt ihr alle als tīrthas hier selbst verweilen. Und ebenso soll in einem einzigen Liṅga die Verehrung meiner stattfinden, als ob durch alle Liṅgas.“

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; demonstrative used adjectivally

• सरसि: in the lake
• सरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• स्थेयम्: should be stayed/one should remain
• स्थेयम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; impersonal obligation

• तीर्थैः: by (all) sacred places
• तीर्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; agrees with तीर्थैः

• अथ: then, moreover
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (conjunctive/then)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकस्मिन्: in one
• एकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; numeral used adjectivally

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus/in the same way)

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• सर्वलिङ्गैः: by all liṅgas
• सर्वलिङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वाणि लिङ्गानि)

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• अर्चनात्: from worship / by worshipping
• अर्चनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; ablative of cause/source

Speaker

Brahmā (Prajāpati), as quoted by Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭīśvara-saras (implied)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā pronounces an ordinance over a luminous lake; subtle personified tīrthas (river-goddesses, sages) ‘enter’ or ‘reside’ in the waters; a single radiant liṅga stands nearby as the focal point of universal worship.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Saraḥ (lake)
• Tīrthas
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa teaches concentration of merit: the many can be accessed through the one—one lake and one liṅga become a complete pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The saras (lake) of Koṭitīrtha, declared the abiding place of all tīrthas, alongside a representative liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Residence/installation of tīrthas in the lake and focused worship at a single liṅga as a comprehensive form of arcana.