Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

यदा प्रपतितं लिंगं देवदेवस्य शूलिनः । द्विजशापेन गर्तैषा तदानेन विनिर्मिता

Transliteration

yadā prapatitaṃ liṃgaṃ devadevasya śūlinaḥ | dvijaśāpena gartaiṣā tadānena vinirmitā

Translation

Als der Liṅga des Götterherrn, Śiva, des Dreizackträgers, durch den Fluch eines Brahmanen herabfiel, entstand in eben diesem Augenblick diese Grube.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (when)

• प्रपतितम्: fallen down
• प्रपतितम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; लिङ्गम्-विशेषणम्

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta/Karma (Contextual; subject of clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• देवदेवस्य: of the god of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः देवानां देवः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• शूलिनः: of the trident-bearer
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवदेवस्य-विशेषणम्

• द्विजशापेन: by a brahmin's curse
• द्विजशापेन: Karana/Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजशाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः द्विजस्य शापः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गर्ता: a pit
• गर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• अनेन: by this (one)
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विनिर्मिता: was constructed
• विनिर्मिता: Kriya (Predicate/Passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-निर्-मा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गर्ता-विशेषणम् (कर्मणि: ‘was made’)

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī vāk (bodiless divine voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhīpati (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic moment: a radiant liṅga descends/falls; the earth opens into a pit; a brāhmaṇa stands as the agent of śāpa (not wrathful caricatured—solemn); Śiva’s trident-bearing aspect is suggested through symbols; the pit becomes sanctified.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śūlin, Devadeva)
• liṅga
• dvija (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography often arises from divine events—curses and their outcomes become sanctified sites of grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The gartā (pit) connected with the fallen Śiva-liṅga, within the Camatkārapura-kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse provides the tīrtha’s origin (utpatti) to ground its māhātmya.