Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

उत्तानपाद उवाच । गुहामध्ये महादेव लिङ्गं परमशोभितम् । येन प्रतिष्ठितं देव तन्ममाख्यातुमर्हसि

Transliteration

uttānapāda uvāca | guhāmadhye mahādeva liṅgaṃ paramaśobhitam | yena pratiṣṭhitaṃ deva tanmamākhyātumarhasi

Translation

Uttānapāda dit : «Ô Mahādeva, au cœur de la grotte se trouve un liṅga d’une splendeur suprême. Ô Seigneur, par qui fut-il établi ? Daigne me l’enseigner.»

Word by Word

• उत्तानपादः: Uttānapāda (proper name)
• उत्तानपादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तानपाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गुहामध्ये: in the cave
• गुहामध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्ये (अव्यय/सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण)
• Form: अव्यय-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष), स्थानवाचक (locative adverbial)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga, emblem (Śiva-liṅga)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• परमशोभितम्: most splendidly adorned
• परमशोभितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभित (कृदन्त; √शुभ्/शोभ् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (set/established)

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: to me / of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• आख्यातुम्: to tell, to explain
• आख्यातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you ought (to)
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Uttānapāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mārkaṇḍeśvara (guhā-liṅga)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva/Īśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king (Uttānapāda) stands at the mouth of a dim cave; inside, a radiant, ornamented liṅga glows, illuminating rock walls; the king gestures in reverent inquiry toward Mahādeva/Īśvara as the divine teacher.

Characters & Entities

• Uttānapāda
• Mahādeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are illuminated by their origin-stories; inquiry into a shrine’s pratiṣṭhā deepens faith and understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A cave-shrine containing a splendid liṅga (later identified with Mārkaṇḍeśvara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it introduces the shrine’s pratiṣṭhā narrative.