Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ते वयं तत्र गत्वाशु यथाशक्त्या यथेच्छया । लिंगानि स्थापयिष्यामः स्वानिस्वानि पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

te vayaṃ tatra gatvāśu yathāśaktyā yathecchayā | liṃgāni sthāpayiṣyāmaḥ svānisvāni pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

Así pues, iremos pronto allí y, según la capacidad y el anhelo del corazón de cada cual, instalaremos liṅgas: cada uno por separado, lo suyo en su propio lugar.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (सर्वनाम)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (उत्तमपुरुषार्थे)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत्वा (क्त्वान्त-अव्यय/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): पूर्वक्रिया

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as, according to)

• शक्त्या: by (our) ability
• शक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• यथाशक्त्या: as far as possible
• यथाशक्त्या: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: 'according to ability')

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• इच्छया: by (our) wish
• इच्छया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• यथेच्छया: as desired
• यथेच्छया: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: 'as one wishes')

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• स्थापयिष्यामः: we shall install
• स्थापयिष्यामः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) (causative/णिच्: स्थापय-)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; णिजन्त-धातु (causative)

• स्वानि: one's own
• स्वानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; लिङ्गानि-विशेषणम्

• स्वानि: each his own
• स्वानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः (emphatic repetition)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

Speaker

Likely the Kuru-Pāṇḍava group speaking collectively to Mādhava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Acyuta/Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession arriving at the kṣetra; each hero carries different materials—stone, flowers, water pots, ritual vessels—installing separate liṅgas in distinct spots, creating a growing constellation of sanctums.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Kurus
• Pāṇḍavas
• Mādhava (implied from context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma accommodates individual capacity: sincere worship performed ‘as one is able’ still becomes meritorious when anchored in a holy kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to the same sacred kṣetra under discussion in Adhyāya 73 of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Installing multiple liṅgas individually (liṅga-sthāpana / liṅga-pratiṣṭhā), guided by personal capacity and intent.