Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तस्माद्विस्तरतो ब्रूहि यत्रयत्र यथायथा । तैः स्थापितानि लिंगानि येषु स्थानेषु सूतज

Transliteration

tasmādvistarato brūhi yatrayatra yathāyathā | taiḥ sthāpitāni liṃgāni yeṣu sthāneṣu sūtaja

Translation

Darum, o Sohn des Sūta, sprich ausführlich: wo und auf welche Weise jene Liṅgas eingesetzt wurden und an welchen Orten sie errichtet sind.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक) → विस्तरतः (अव्ययीभावे)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in detail)

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

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धसूचक-देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative locative adverb)

• यत्र: wherever
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (reduplication) द्वारा ‘यत्रयत्र’ अर्थः—‘wherever’

• यथा: as, in what manner
• यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धसूचक-प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (relative manner adverb)

• यथा: in whatever way
• यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति द्वारा ‘यथायथा’ अर्थः—‘in whatever way/according to each case’

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्थापितानि: were established
• स्थापितानि: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापित (णिच् causative) + क्त (P.P.P.)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past Passive Participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• येषु: in which
• येषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्धसूचक

• स्थानेषु: in places
• स्थानेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सूतज: O Sūta-born (son of Sūta)
• सूतज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सूतस्य जातः)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (Sūtaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages lean forward, requesting a detailed enumeration; the composition suggests a ‘map’ about to unfold—scrolls, pointing gestures, and a hinted landscape with many marked shrines awaiting description.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Liṅga (Śiva-liṅga)
• Sacred places (sthānas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is preserved through careful narration—knowing where dharma is anchored (liṅgas) supports pilgrimage and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader kṣetra of Adhyāya 103 is in view, to be mapped through the locations of installed liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse requests detailed information about liṅga installations and their locations.