Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

समाहूय च तीर्थानि पुष्करात्तत्र भामिनि । तस्मिन्कुण्डे तु विन्यस्य अजोगन्ध समीपतः । प्रतिष्ठाप्य महालिंगमजोगन्धेति नामतः

Transliteration

samāhūya ca tīrthāni puṣkarāttatra bhāmini | tasminkuṇḍe tu vinyasya ajogandha samīpataḥ | pratiṣṭhāpya mahāliṃgamajogandheti nāmataḥ

Translation

O schöne Frau, nachdem er die heiligen Tīrthas aus Puṣkara herbeigerufen und in jenem Teich eingesetzt hatte, errichtete er nahe Ajogandha einen großen Liṅga, dem Namen nach «Ajogandha».

Word by Word

• समाहूय: having summoned/collected
• समाहूय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + हु (धातु) → समाहूय (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

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

• तीर्थानि: the sacred fords/holy places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• पुष्करात्: from Puṣkara
• पुष्करात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• भामिनि: O fair lady
• भामिनि: Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; स्त्री-सम्बोधन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्

• कुण्डे: pond
• कुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोध-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• विन्यस्य: having placed
• विन्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + अस्/न्यस् (धातु) → विन्यस्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having placed)

• अजोगन्ध: of Ajogandha (place/name)
• अजोगन्ध: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अजानां गन्धः) स्थान/नाम; (अजोगन्धस्य)

• समीपतः: near
• समीपतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीपतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverb: near/close to)

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ति + स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठाप्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having installed/established)

• महा: great
• महा: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पूर्वपद-विशेषण (indeclinable-like first member in compound context)

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

• अजोगन्धे: in/at Ajogandha
• अजोगन्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजोगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; स्थान/नाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotative marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश (quotative particle)

• नामतः: by name
• नामतः: Adverbial (प्रकार/निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (as regards name/by name)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing Devī/Parvatī as listener, inferred from vocative 'bhāmini')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ajogandha / Tripuṣkara-kunda (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā (addressed as bhāminī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage/kingly figure performs āhvāna of Puṣkara tīrthas, pouring sanctified water into a kunda; nearby, a newly installed towering black stone liṅga is being consecrated, with attendants holding kalashas, incense, and flowers; the landscape suggests coastal Prabhāsa with sacred groves.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Tīrthas
• Kuṇḍa
• Ajogandha
• Ajogandheśvara (Mahāliṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred presence is intensified through dharmic consecration—uniting tīrtha-power with Śiva’s Liṅga establishes a lasting field of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kuṇḍa near Ajogandha and the Ajogandha-named Mahāliṅga within Prabhāsa Kṣetra, linked to Puṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-invocation/establishment (tīrtha-vinyāsa) and Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (consecration/installation).