Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अहो धन्यः कुमारोऽयं महीसागरसंगमे । येन चत्वारी लिंगानि स्तापितानि सुदुर्लभे

Transliteration

aho dhanyaḥ kumāro'yaṃ mahīsāgarasaṃgame | yena catvārī liṃgāni stāpitāni sudurlabhe

Translation

Ah! Blessed is this Kumāra at the confluence of the Mahī and the Ocean, by whom four liṅgas—so rare to obtain—have been established.

Word by Word

• अहो: oh! indeed!
• अहो: Sambodhana/Exclamation (सम्बोधन/विस्मय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मय/प्रशंसा-सूचक निपात (interjection/particle of wonder/praise)

• धन्यः: fortunate, blessed
• धन्यः: Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate adjective of कुमारः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• कुमारः: the prince/young man (Kumāra)
• कुमारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to कुमारः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• महीसागरसंगमे: at the confluence of the earth/land and the ocean (shore)
• महीसागरसंगमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + सागर + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/समाहारार्थे: मही-सागरयोः संगमः (loc. sg.)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धि-सर्वनाम (instr. sg.)

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Karma (कर्म) (quantifier of लिङ्गानि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (neut. nom./acc. pl.)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन (neut. nom./acc. pl.)

• स्थापितानि: were स्थापित/installed
• स्थापितानि: Karma (कर्म) (with implied passive: 'were established')
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच्; स्थापित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय (PPP, neut. nom./acc. pl.)

• सुदुर्लभे: in a very rare (place/occasion)
• सुदुर्लभे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण) (locative of circumstance)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (loc. sg.)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration of the devas’ words)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahīsāgara-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the river’s mouth where fresh waters meet the sea, Kumāra is praised as ‘dhanya’ while four newly established liṅgas stand on the sandy bank with offerings and fluttering flags.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Mahī
• Sāgara
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing and honoring Śiva’s symbols at holy places is portrayed as a rare, highly meritorious act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama (the confluence of the Mahī river with the ocean).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (the establishment of liṅgas), highlighted through Skanda’s exemplary act.