Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ततःप्रभृति लोकेऽत्र देवदेवो महेश्वरः । तादृशेनैव रूपेण स्थाप्यते भूतले जनैः

Transliteration

tataḥprabhṛti loke'tra devadevo maheśvaraḥ | tādṛśenaiva rūpeṇa sthāpyate bhūtale janaiḥ

Translation

From that time onward in this world, the God of gods—Maheśvara—has been installed by people upon the earth in that very same form.

Word by Word

• ततः: from then
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (from then)

• प्रभृति: onwards; since
• प्रभृति: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भवाचक (since; beginning from)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Loc. sg.)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• देवदेवः: the God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदेव (प्रातिपदिक; देव + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom. sg.)

• महेश्वरः: Mahēśvara (Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom. sg.); तत्पुरुषः (great lord)

• तादृशेन: with such
• तादृशेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instr. sg.; agreeing with रूपेण)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Viśeṣaṇa (Emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• रूपेण: by/with the form
• रूपेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neut., Instr. sg.)

• स्थाप्यते: is installed
• स्थाप्यते: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Present, 3rd sg., passive: “is installed/established”)

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक; भू + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neut., Loc. sg.)

• जनैः: by people
• जनैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Instr. pl.)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maheśvara-sthāpana sthala (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: People install Maheśvara on earth in the same distinctive form as revealed in the legend; a consecration scene with priests, vessels, and devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred history legitimizes living ritual tradition—iconic forms are preserved as channels of grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse generalizes “in this world”; the specific tīrtha remains unstated in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Installing Maheśvara in the same described form (a specific iconographic mūrti-pratiṣṭhā tradition).