Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

संस्थाप्य लिंगं विधिना स्वनाम्नांगारकेश्वरम् । पांचमुद्रे महास्थाने कंबलाश्वतरोत्तरे

Transliteration

saṃsthāpya liṃgaṃ vidhinā svanāmnāṃgārakeśvaram | pāṃcamudre mahāsthāne kaṃbalāśvatarottare

Translation

Après avoir établi selon le rite prescrit un liṅga, il le nomma, d’après son propre nom, Aṅgārakeśvara, en ce grand lieu sacré appelé Pāñcamudrā, au nord de Kambalāśvatara.

Word by Word

• संस्थाप्य: having स्थापित/installed
• संस्थाप्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्गः सम्-, धातुः √स्था (to place/establish)

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

• विधिना: by the prescribed विधि/ritual procedure
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्वनाम्ना: with his own name
• स्वनाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य नाम = own name); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नामन्), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अङ्गारकेश्वरम्: Aṅgārakeśvara (Lord of Aṅgāraka)
• अङ्गारकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object; naming/apposition to liṅga)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गारक + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अङ्गारकस्य ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• पाञ्चमुद्रे: in Pañcamudrā (the ‘five-seals’ place)
• पाञ्चमुद्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्च + मुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः द्विगु (पञ्च मुद्राः यस्मिन्/यत्र); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• महास्थाने: in the great sacred place
• महास्थाने: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् स्थानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• कम्बलाश्वतरोत्तरे: to the north of (the nāgas) Kambala and Aśvatara
• कम्बलाश्वतरोत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कम्बल + अश्वतर + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (कम्बल-अश्वतरयोः उत्तरे = to the north of Kambala and Aśvatara); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (स्थाने इति पदेन सह विशेषणत्वेन)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāñcamudrā (Aṅgārakeśvara-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee-sage performs liṅga-pratiṣṭhā at the sacred spot Pāñcamudrā; the newly installed liṅga is adorned, and the place is shown as north of the landmark Kambalāśvatara within Kāśī’s dense sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Liṅga/Aṅgārakeśvara)
• Aṅgāraka
• Pāñcamudrā
• Kambalāśvatara
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred merit arises from proper, rule-bound devotion—especially installing and honoring Śiva as a living presence in a holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pāñcamudrā in Kāśī, described as a great sacred spot, situated north of Kambalāśvatara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation of a Śiva-liṅga) performed ‘vidhinā’—according to the proper rite—and naming the liṅga Aṅgārakeśvara.