Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तथा सर्वैश्च सर्वाणि क्षेत्रलिंगानि कृत्स्नशः । आनेतव्यानि चाराध्य तपःशक्त्या महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tathā sarvaiśca sarvāṇi kṣetraliṃgāni kṛtsnaśaḥ | ānetavyāni cārādhya tapaḥśaktyā maheśvaram

Translation

«Ainsi, tous devaient faire venir, dans leur totalité, tous les kṣetra-liṅgas ; et, par la puissance de l’ascèse, adorer Mahēśvara.»

Word by Word

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

• सर्वैः: by all (of them)
• सर्वैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अत्र कर्मपदत्वे द्वितीया (object)

• क्षेत्रलिङ्गानि: the kṣetra-liṅgas (liṅgas of the holy fields)
• क्षेत्रलिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्षेत्रस्य लिङ्गानि)

• कृत्स्नशः: completely
• कृत्स्नशः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत्स्नशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/समग्रतावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘entirely, in full’)

• आनेतव्यानि: are to be brought
• आनेतव्यानि: Karma (Object in obligation/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + नी (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यता/विधेयार्थक कृदन्त (Gerundive/तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘to be brought’

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

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/ल्यप्), ‘having worshipped’

• तपःशक्त्या: by the power of austerity
• तपःशक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (तपसः शक्तिः)

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Resident brāhmaṇas formulating a plan (within Sūta’s narration; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣetra-liṅga-saṅgraha (assembly of all kṣetra-liṅgas)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages and brāhmaṇas carry and arrange multiple liṅgas—each marked as belonging to different kṣetras—forming a sacred mandala; they worship Maheśvara through intense tapas, with heat-aura rising like flames of austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• kṣetra-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Collective sacred effort—uniting symbols of holy places and intensifying tapas—becomes a powerful means to invoke Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The local kṣetra is presented as a focal point connected to multiple kṣetra-liṅgas, indicating a tīrtha-network within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bringing kṣetra-liṅgas together and worshipping Mahēśvara through tapas (austerity-powered devotion).