Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

प्रासादं निर्मयित्वाथ रूपं संस्थाप्य शूलिनः । कुण्डं चक्रे च तद्रूपं स्वच्छोदकसमावृतम्

Transliteration

prāsādaṃ nirmayitvātha rūpaṃ saṃsthāpya śūlinaḥ | kuṇḍaṃ cakre ca tadrūpaṃ svacchodakasamāvṛtam

Translation

„Nachdem er den Tempel errichtet und die Gestalt Śūlins eingesetzt hatte, schuf er auch eine Kuṇḍa, einen heiligen Teich, der dieser Gestalt entsprach und ringsum von klarem Wasser umgeben war.“

Word by Word

• प्रासादम्: palace/temple-building
• प्रासादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• निर्मयित्वा: having constructed/made
• निर्मयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निर्मा (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having done)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• रूपम्: form/image
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संस्थाप्य: having installed
• संस्थाप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (absolutive), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having installed/established)

• शूलिनः: of the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कुण्डम्: pond/tank
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

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

• तद्रूपम्: of that form / having that form
• तद्रूपम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (that-form)

• स्वच्छोदकसमावृतम्: covered/filled with clear water
• स्वच्छोदकसमावृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वच्छ (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्-आवृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √वृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘समावृत’; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वच्छोदकेन समावृतम्)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himāpātodbhava-tīrtha (as referenced in the passage)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of Brahmins) (explicitly addressed in the surrounding passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A patron-sage completes a stone prāsāda; before it stands Śūlin’s installed form; nearby a newly formed kuṇḍa gleams with crystal-clear water, reflecting the trident-bearing Lord’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlin (Śiva)
• Kuṇḍa (sacred tank)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kṣetras are supported by devotional works—temple and tīrtha-water are established to make worship and purification accessible to devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, including its temple and associated kuṇḍa (sacred water body).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Establish a temple, perform installation of Śiva’s form, and create/maintain a sacred kuṇḍa with pure water—supporting pūjā and tīrtha practices.