Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

श्रीमहादेव उवाच । मम यः स्थापयेल्लिंगं शुभं सद्म च कारयेत् । मल्लोके वसतेऽसौ च वावच्चंद्रदिवाकरौ

Transliteration

śrīmahādeva uvāca | mama yaḥ sthāpayelliṃgaṃ śubhaṃ sadma ca kārayet | malloke vasate'sau ca vāvaccaṃdradivākarau

Translation

Śrī Mahādeva dit : «Quiconque établit mon liṅga et fait bâtir un sanctuaire de bon augure demeurera dans mon royaume aussi longtemps que dureront la lune et le soleil.»

Word by Word

• śrī-mahādevaḥ: Śrī Mahādeva
• śrī-mahādevaḥ: Karta (Speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् महादेवः)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• yaḥ: whoever
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative)

• sthāpayet: should स्थापित/establish
• sthāpayet: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु) [णिच् causative: sthāpaya-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच् (causative)

• liṅgam: a liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (liṅgam)

• sadmā: a dwelling/temple
• sadmā: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; रूपम् ‘सद्म’ (house/abode)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• kārayet: should cause to be made/build
• kārayet: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) [णिच् causative: kāraya-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच् (causative)

• mat-loke: in my world
• mat-loke: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मम लोकः)

• vasate: dwells
• vasate: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (वस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• asau: that person
• asau: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Adhikarana (Time extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/कालवाचक (as long as)

• caṃdra-divākarau: the moon and the sun
• caṃdra-divākarau: Karta (Subject of subordinate time clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃdra (प्रातिपदिक) + divākara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

Speaker

Śiva (Mahādeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva speaks as a divine teacher, blessing a patron installing a liṅga and commissioning a bright, auspicious shrine; celestial bodies (sun and moon) appear as witnesses to the vow’s duration.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Moon
• Sun

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting enduring public worship—by installing the liṅga and building a shrine—creates lasting merit and a lofty posthumous destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement functions as a general phalaśruti attached to the liṅga of this adhyāya; it is applicable to Śiva-liṅga sites broadly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installation) and sadma/mandira-karaṇa (constructing a shrine/temple) dedicated to Śiva.