Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

मया संस्थापितो विष्णुर्लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया । यस्मात्स्वयं श्वेतद्वीपनिवास्यत्र हरिः स्थितः

Transliteration

mayā saṃsthāpito viṣṇurlokānugrahakāmyayā | yasmātsvayaṃ śvetadvīpanivāsyatra hariḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

By me Viṣṇu was established here, out of the desire to bless the worlds—so that Hari himself, the indweller of Śvetadvīpa, abides in this place.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana/Agent (in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संस्थापितः: was installed/established
• संस्थापितः: Karma (in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त) of causative ‘संस्थापयति’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (logical subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया: for the desire of favoring the worlds
• लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया: Hetu (Purpose/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + अनुग्रह + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद-भाव: ‘लोकानाम् अनुग्रहः’ तस्य काम्यया); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ/साधनभावे (for the sake of)

• यस्मात्: because (from which reason)
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (because/from which)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-visheshaṇa (Emphatic subject modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (indeclinable: oneself)

• श्वेतद्वीपनिवासी: the resident of Śvetadvīpa
• श्वेतद्वीपनिवासी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत + द्वीप + निवासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी: ‘श्वेतद्वीपे निवासी’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थितः: remains/stands
• स्थितः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is/has stood, remains’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Hari, associated with the white-island (Śvetadvīpa) symbolism—white lotuses, milky light—appears established in a shrine, while the installer-deity gestures toward the world in compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Hari
• Śvetadvīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing divine presence at a holy site is an act of loka-sevā—service that turns a place into a lasting refuge of grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The glorification is of ‘this place’ (atra) where Hari is said to abide; the excerpt does not specify the geographical name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃsthāpanā/pratiṣṭhā of Viṣṇu is the key act, framed as being done for the benefit of all worlds.