Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । धृतराष्ट्रेण भूपेन शतपुत्रान्वितेन च । लिंगानां स्थापितं तत्र शतमेकोत्तरं द्विजाः

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa bhūpena śataputrānvitena ca | liṃgānāṃ sthāpitaṃ tatra śatamekottaraṃ dvijāḥ

Translation

Sūta sprach: „Dort errichtete König Dhṛtarāṣṭra, zusammen mit seinen hundert Söhnen, hundertundeinen (101) Śiva‑Liṅga, o ihr Zweimalgeborenen.“

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• धृतराष्ट्रेण: by Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• भूपेन: by the king
• भूपेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• शतपुत्रान्वितेन: accompanied by a hundred sons
• शतपुत्रान्वितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत-पुत्र-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; शत + पुत्र + अन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) of भूपेन/धृतराष्ट्रेण

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

• लिङ्गानाम्: of liṅgas
• लिङ्गानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• स्थापितम्: was established/installed
• स्थापितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे मुख्यक्रियासदृश

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• एकोत्तरम्: plus one (i.e., 101)
• एकोत्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक; एक + उत्तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; शतम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयोगः (addressing)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ (assembled sages/Brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates a sacred locale where King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, accompanied by his hundred sons, consecrates 101 Śiva-liṅgas in orderly rows, with priests chanting and lamps blazing.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Royal power becomes dharmic when used to establish centers of worship; liṅga-pratiṣṭhā is portrayed as a high-merit act that magnifies a tīrtha’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya in Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installation of Śiva-liṅgas) is described; the verse specifies the number established (101).