Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तथान्यत्स्थापयामास लिंगं देवस्य शूलिनः । दुर्गां च भक्तिसंयुक्तो विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा

Transliteration

tathānyatsthāpayāmāsa liṃgaṃ devasya śūlinaḥ | durgāṃ ca bhaktisaṃyukto vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā

Translation

Ebenso errichtete er, in Hingabe und nach der vorgeschriebenen rituellen Ordnung, ein weiteres heiliges Zeichen: den Liṅga des dreizacktragenden Herrn (Śiva); und auch Durgā setzte er ein, indem er die gebotenen Riten vollzog.

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (likewise)

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• स्थापयामास: he established, set up
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) (णिच्) स्थापय + √अस् (धातु) (लिट्-परिप्रयोग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘स्थापयामास’ = स्थापयत् इव (periphrastic perfect)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• शूलिनः: of Śūlin (Śiva, trident-bearer)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘शूलिन्’ = त्रिशूलधारी (Śiva)

• दुर्गाम्: Durgā
• दुर्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• भक्तिसंयुक्तः: endowed with devotion
• भक्तिसंयुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (सम् + √युज् धातु → क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘भक्त्या संयुक्तः’ (endowed with devotion); कर्तृविशेषण

• विधिदृष्टेन: by the rite prescribed by rule
• विधिदृष्टेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + दृष्ट (√दृश् धातु → क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘विधिना दृष्टेन’ (as prescribed by rule); ‘कर्मणा’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• कर्मणा: by (ritual) action
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecration scene: a Śiva-liṅga is installed with ritual vessels and bilva leaves; nearby, Durgā’s image is established, evoking protective śakti; Bhīṣma performs rites in prescribed order with focused devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śūlin)
• Liṅga
• Durgā
• Bhīṣma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a tīrtha, devotion must be joined to vidhi—right procedure—so worship becomes stable, communal, and merit-giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse focuses on consecrations performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā of a Śiva-liṅga and establishment of Durgā, performed through vidhi (scripturally prescribed rites).