Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवं संस्थाप्य तल्लिंगं चंडशर्मा द्विजोत्तमाः । आराधयामास तदा पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evaṃ saṃsthāpya talliṃgaṃ caṃḍaśarmā dvijottamāḥ | ārādhayāmāsa tadā puṣpadhūpānulepanaiḥ

Translation

Sūta dit : Ainsi, après avoir établi ce liṅga, Caṇḍaśarman — le plus éminent des brāhmaṇas — l’adora alors par des offrandes de fleurs, d’encens et d’onguents parfumés.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• संस्थाप्य: having installed/established
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• चण्डशर्मा: Caṇḍaśarmā (proper name)
• चण्डशर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्ड + शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नामसमास)

• द्विजोत्तमः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (श्रेष्ठः द्विजः)

• आराधयामास: worshipped
• आराधयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; देशी-प्रयोगः (periphrastic perfect sense)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: with flowers, incense, and unguents
• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + धूप + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (पुष्पं च धूपः च अनुलेपनं च)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgareśvara-kṣetra (within Nāgara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (implied purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable brāhmaṇa Caṇḍaśarman installs a fresh Śiva-liṅga on a sanctified platform and performs pūjā with flowers, incense smoke curling upward, and sandal paste anointing the stone.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Caṇḍaśarman
• Nāgareśvara (implied liṅga)
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is sustained by lived worship—simple upacāras offered consistently become the heartbeat of sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgareśvara-liṅga shrine-site, established and maintained through regular offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-liṅga ārādhanā with puṣpa (flowers), dhūpa (incense), and anulepana (sacred unguents/pastes).