Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

इत्याह भगवान्रुद्रः स्कन्दस्य प्रीतये पुरा । एवमेव चतुर्थं च स्थापितं लिंगमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ityāha bhagavānrudraḥ skandasya prītaye purā | evameva caturthaṃ ca sthāpitaṃ liṃgamuttamam

Translation

Ainsi parla jadis le Bienheureux Rudra pour la joie de Skanda. De la même manière fut aussi établi un quatrième liṅga excellent.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निदर्शन-अव्यय (Quotative particle)

• āha: said
• āha: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Apposition (Same as subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• skandasya: of Skanda
• skandasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• prītaye: for (his) pleasure
• prītaye: Sampradāna (Purpose/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• purā: formerly, in the past
• purā: Kālādhi karaṇa (Time adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (Temporal adverb)

• evam: thus, in this manner
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (Manner adverb)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (Emphatic particle)

• caturtham: the fourth
• caturtham: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction)

• sthāpitam: was established
• sthāpitam: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• liṅgam: liṅga (emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma/Pradhāna (Thing established/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• uttamam: excellent, supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of liṅga/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta) quoting Rudra; Rudra is the referenced speaker within the verse

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) audience; Skanda is the beneficiary within the story

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra speaks solemnly, with Skanda nearby delighted; priests and attendants prepare a consecration space; an ‘excellent fourth liṅga’ is shown being set upon a pedestal with ritual vessels and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Skanda
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine speech and sacred installation (liṅga-sthāpana) sanctify a place and transmit enduring merit to devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Staṃbheśvara/saṅgama region where multiple liṅgas are being established as part of the site’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (establishing a Śiva-liṅga), presented as a meritorious act within the tīrtha narrative.