Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

विंध्याचलो हेमकूटं गन्धमादनमेव च । लिंगेश्वरं तथा क्षेत्रं लंकाद्वारं तथैव च

Transliteration

viṃdhyācalo hemakūṭaṃ gandhamādanameva ca | liṃgeśvaraṃ tathā kṣetraṃ laṃkādvāraṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

And there are the Vindhya mountain; Hemakūṭa; and also Gandhamādana; likewise the sacred region of Liṅgeśvara; and also Laṅkādvāra.

Word by Word

• विंध्याचलः: Vindhya mountain
• विंध्याचलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंध्याचल (प्रातिपदिक; विंध्य + अचल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विंध्यस्य अचलः)

• हेमकूटम्: Hemakūṭa (golden peak)
• हेमकूटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमकूट (प्रातिपदिक; हेम + कूट)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (हेममयः कूटः)

• गन्धमादनम्: Gandhamādana (mountain)
• गन्धमादनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक; गन्ध + मादन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गन्धान् मादयति/मादयन् इति)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अर्थे—एव/नूनम् (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लिङ्गेश्वरम्: Liṅgeśvara
• लिङ्गेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्गेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; लिङ्ग + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य ईश्वरः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (likewise/also)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/holy place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लङ्काद्वारम्: Laṅkā’s gate (Laṅkādvāra)
• लङ्काद्वारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्काद्वार (प्रातिपदिक; लङ्का + द्वार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लङ्कायाः द्वारम्)

• तथैव: in the same way
• तथैव: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + एव (अव्यय-द्वय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial phrase), समुच्चय/सादृश्यार्थे (just so/likewise)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Adhyaya 108’s enumerative Māhātmya style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (within which these are cited as notable tīrthas/kshetras)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (addressed as ‘vāmoru/varānanā’ in adjacent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-map tableau: five labeled sacred sites—Vindhya ridge, golden Hemakūṭa hill, fragrant Gandhamādana peak, a Liṅgeśvara shrine-kṣetra, and a ‘gateway’ arch marked Laṅkādvāra—arranged like a cosmographic mandala.

Characters & Entities

• Vindhya
• Hemakūṭa
• Gandhamādana
• Liṅgeśvara
• Laṅkādvāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Māhātmya expands sacred space to include mountains and gateways—nature and place-names become supports for remembrance of the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vindhya, Hemakūṭa, Gandhamādana, Liṅgeśvara-kṣetra, and Laṅkādvāra are listed as revered locales.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears in this verse.