Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शास्त्रोक्तेन विधानेन पूजां चक्रे च नित्यशः । ततस्त्रैलोक्य विख्यातं तल्लिंगं तत्र वै द्विजाः

Transliteration

śāstroktena vidhānena pūjāṃ cakre ca nityaśaḥ | tatastrailokya vikhyātaṃ talliṃgaṃ tatra vai dvijāḥ

Translation

Selon le rite prescrit par les śāstras, il accomplissait chaque jour le culte et servait ce Liṅga. Dès lors, ô brāhmaṇas, ce Liṅga même devint renommé dans les trois mondes.

Word by Word

• शास्त्रोक्तेन: as stated in the scriptures
• शास्त्रोक्तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र + उक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘शास्त्रे उक्त’ = prescribed in scripture; विशेषण (विधानेन)

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चक्रे: performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नित्यशः: daily, always
• नित्यशः: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘always/daily’

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/अनन्तरार्थ (from that/thereafter)

• त्रैलोक्य: of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास ‘three worlds’

• विख्यातम्: renowned
• विख्यातम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘renowned’; विशेषण (तत्-लिङ्गम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संकेत/अन्वय (that)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Nāgara Khaṇḍa–Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn each day, Citraśarman and priests perform śāstroktapūjā—abhisheka, bilva offerings, incense, lamps—before the golden liṅga; the shrine’s aura expands as pilgrims gather.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śāstra-guided daily worship (nitya-pūjā) generates enduring spiritual merit and causes a sacred emblem of Śiva to become widely revered.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises a local tīrtha-liṅga within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the exact place-name is established by the surrounding verses of Adhyāya 107.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily worship performed strictly by śāstric procedure (śāstrokta-vidhi).