Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

लिंगं संस्थापयामास ज्ञात्वा क्षेत्रमनुत्तमम् । अब्रवीच्च ततो वाक्यं मेघगंभीरया गिरा

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpayāmāsa jñātvā kṣetramanuttamam | abravīcca tato vākyaṃ meghagaṃbhīrayā girā

Translation

Da er den Ort als unvergleichliches kṣetra erkannte, errichtete er den Liṅga. Dann sprach er Worte mit einer Stimme, tief wie donnernde Wolken.

Word by Word

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

• संस्थापयामास: he established
• संस्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada); णिजन्त-प्रयोग (causative)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; adjective qualifying क्षेत्रम्)

• अब्रवीत्: he said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/स्थान-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/काल-निर्देशक (indeclinable; from there/then)

• वाक्यम्: a statement, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• मेघगंभीरया: with a cloud-deep (thunderous)
• मेघगंभीरया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ-गंभीर (प्रातिपदिक; मेघ + गंभीर)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; qualifying गिरा)

• गिरा: voice
• गिरा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर्/गिरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating Yājñavalkya’s act)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra; Yājñavalkyeśvara-liṅga (as emerging identity)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭha (addressed later in v.175.16; the listener is a leading brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revered figure, having recognized an unsurpassed sacred field, installs a Śiva-liṅga; the atmosphere is charged, and he speaks with a voice like rumbling monsoon clouds as attendants watch in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Liṅga
• Anuttama Kṣetra (contextually Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography and sacred action unite: recognizing a kṣetra’s greatness culminates in worshipful establishment of Śiva’s liṅga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “anuttama kṣetra” of the adhyāya—connected with Hāṭakeśvara and praised as a destroyer of sins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpanā (liṅga-pratiṣṭhā): establishing/consecrating Śiva’s liṅga in the sacred kṣetra.