Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

स्ववंशोद्धरचंद्रोऽत्र वांछितार्थप्रदोऽर्थिनाम् । तेनैतत्क्षेत्रमासाद्य स्थापितं लिंगमुत्तमम् । स्वनाम्ना ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः सर्वदेष्टप्रदं नृणाम्

Transliteration

svavaṃśoddharacaṃdro'tra vāṃchitārthaprado'rthinām | tenaitatkṣetramāsādya sthāpitaṃ liṃgamuttamam | svanāmnā brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ sarvadeṣṭapradaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

Ici, il fut tel une lune qui releva sa propre lignée, accordant aux suppliants l’objet de leurs vœux. Parvenu à ce kṣetra sacré, il y établit un Śiva-liṅga excellent et le nomma de son propre nom—ô meilleurs des brāhmaṇas—lui qui accorde aux hommes tout ce qu’ils désirent.

Word by Word

• sva: own
• sva: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-विशेषण (compound-member adjective), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like as compound member)

• vaṃśa: lineage
• vaṃśa: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-नामपद (compound member noun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• uddhara: uplift/rescue
• uddhara: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-नामपद (compound member noun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• candraḥ: moon-like one (named/likened as Candra)
• candraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: sva-vaṃśa-uddhara-candra (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः, ‘स्ववंशोद्धरः चन्द्र इव’)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• vāṃchita: desired
• vāṃchita: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāṃchita (कृदन्त; √vāñch (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-विशेषण; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), ‘इष्ट/वाञ्छित’

• artha: object/goal
• artha: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-नामपद, पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• pradaḥ: giver (bestower)
• pradaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: vāṃchita-artha-prada (तत्पुरुषः)

• arthinām: of the supplicants/seekers
• arthinām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• tena: by him/therefore
• tena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘kṣetram’ इति विशेषण

• kṣetram: sacred field/place
• kṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• āsādya: having reached
• āsādya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sad (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘आसाद्य’ = having reached

• sthāpitam: was established
• sthāpitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘sthāpitam’ इति सह

• uttamam: excellent/supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘liṅgam’ इति विशेषण

• sva: own
• sva: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-विशेषण, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• nāmnā: by (its) own name
• nāmnā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः: sva-nāmnā (तत्पुरुषः)

• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: best of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः: brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭha (तत्पुरुषः)

• sarva: all
• sarva: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-विशेषण, अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• deṣṭa: desired
• deṣṭa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deṣṭa (कृदन्त; √diś/√dṛś?; here ‘iṣṭa’ sense)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद-विशेषण; ‘इष्ट’ (desired) अर्थे प्रयोगः

• pradam: granting (bestowing)
• pradam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: sarva-deṣṭa-prada (तत्पुरुषः)

• nṛṇām: of men/people
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Aṭeśvara-liṅga context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭha(s) (addressed as ‘O best of brāhmaṇas’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pious founder arrives at a radiant kṣetra, installs a polished Śiva-liṅga, and sages/brāhmaṇas witness the consecration; the liṅga is shown as ‘sarveṣṭa-prada’ with supplicants offering flowers and water.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga (Aṭeśvara, implied by context)
• kṣetra (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)
• brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing and honoring a Śiva-liṅga in a consecrated kṣetra is portrayed as a powerful dharmic act that uplifts lineage and fulfills righteous desires.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse praises the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra where Aṭeśvara (the liṅga named after Aṭa) was established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installation of a Śiva-liṅga) at the kṣetra, with the promise of granting desired aims to devotees.