Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

देवागाराग्रतो गत्वा योगसिद्धा महर्षयः । लिंगं संस्थापयामासुः शिवभक्तिपुरस्कृता

Transliteration

devāgārāgrato gatvā yogasiddhā maharṣayaḥ | liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpayāmāsuḥ śivabhaktipuraskṛtā

Translation

Vor den Tempel tretend, errichteten die im Yoga vollendeten großen Weisen einen Liṅga und stellten die Hingabe an Śiva an die Spitze.

Word by Word

• देवागाराग्रतः: in front of the temple
• देवागाराग्रतः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: देवागाराग्र (प्रातिपदिक) = देव + आगार + अग्र
• Form: पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-आधारित प्रातिपदिक; तस्मात् ‘अग्रतः’ इति अव्यय-रूपम् (adverb): ‘in front of the temple’

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त; ‘having gone’

• योगसिद्धाः: accomplished through yoga
• योगसिद्धाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योगसिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) = योग + सिद्ध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (योगेन सिद्धाः)

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक) = महा + ऋषि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् ऋषिः)

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

• संस्थापयामासुः: established
• संस्थापयामासुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिजन्त (causative): ‘they caused to be established/they established’

• शिवभक्तिपुरस्कृताः: prompted/led by devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तिपुरस्कृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिवभक्ति-पुरस्कृत (प्रातिपदिक) = शिव + भक्ति + पुरस् + कृ (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवभक्त्या पुरस्कृताः = having Śiva-devotion in front/led by devotion)

Speaker

Prahlāda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara (liṅga-kṣetra within Dvārakā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the temple-front, yogasiddha maharṣis, austere and radiant, set a liṅga upon a prepared pedestal, with offerings arranged and a sanctified atmosphere of devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Maharṣis (great sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text models dharma through sacred institution-building: establishing worship spaces as an expression of foremost devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where the narrative situates the installation of a Śiva-liṅga in the temple precinct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-saṃsthāpanā (installation/establishment of a Śiva-liṅga) is explicitly described.