Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

श्रीशंकर उवाच । त्वं स्थापयात्र मल्लिंगं पीठे गन्धर्वसत्तम । ततश्चाराधय प्रीत्या यावद्वर्षमुपस्थितम्

Transliteration

śrīśaṃkara uvāca | tvaṃ sthāpayātra malliṃgaṃ pīṭhe gandharvasattama | tataścārādhaya prītyā yāvadvarṣamupasthitam

Translation

Śrī Śaṅkara dit : « Ô le plus noble des Gandharvas, établis ici un liṅga d’argile sur un piédestal. Puis adore-le avec dévotion jusqu’à ce qu’une année entière soit accomplie. »

Word by Word

• श्रीशंकरः: Śrī Śaṅkara
• श्रीशंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बोधन-पूर्वक वक्तृ-निर्देश (speaker tag)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्थापय: install / establish
• स्थापय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था + णिच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मल्लिङ्गम्: the Malliṅga (Śiva-liṅga)
• मल्लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पीठे: on the pedestal/seat
• पीठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गन्धर्वसत्तम: O best of Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘गन्धर्वाणां सत्तमः’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

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

• आराधय: worship / propitiate
• आराधय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: राध् + आ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रीत्या: with devotion
• प्रीत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भावे—‘with devotion/pleasure’

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक अव्यय (as long as/until)

• वर्षम्: a year
• वर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालावधि

• उपस्थितम्: arrived / completed (i.e., that has come)
• उपस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आगतं/प्राप्तम्’ (agreeing with वर्षम्)

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gandharva-sattama (best of Gandharvas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara instructs a Gandharva to fashion and install a clay liṅga on a pedestal at a sacred spot; the moment is calm, directive, and ritual-focused.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Citrāṅgada
• mṛlliṅga (clay liṅga)
• pīṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Lasting transformation comes through sustained devotion—discipline in worship, not merely a momentary request.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred locale is implied by “atra” (here) within the Tīrthamāhātmya, but the verse does not name it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Install a clay liṅga on a pedestal and perform loving worship continuously for one year.