Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 126

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्र उवाच । सहस्राक्षेण ते विप्रा लिंगार्थं याचिता यदा । स्थानं शुभं पवित्रं च सर्वक्षेत्रस्य मध्यगम्

Transliteration

viśvāmitra uvāca | sahasrākṣeṇa te viprā liṃgārthaṃ yācitā yadā | sthānaṃ śubhaṃ pavitraṃ ca sarvakṣetrasya madhyagam

Translation

Viśvāmitra dit : «Lorsque Sahasrākṣa (Indra) sollicita ces brāhmanes pour l’établissement d’un liṅga, ils indiquèrent un lieu faste et pur, placé au cœur même de tout le domaine sacré.»

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvāmitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• सहस्राक्षेण: by Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• सहस्राक्षेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasrākṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहि-समास: सहस्र + अक्ष ("having a thousand eyes")

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्राः: brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• लिङ्गार्थम्: for (obtaining) the liṅga
• लिङ्गार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga-artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास: लिङ्गस्य अर्थः ("for the sake of the liṅga")

• याचिताः: were requested/asked
• याचिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• स्थानम्: a place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• पवित्रम्: pure
• पवित्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वक्षेत्रस्य: of the whole sacred field
• सर्वक्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास: सर्वं क्षेत्रम् ("the entire sacred field")

• मध्यगम्: situated in the middle
• मध्यगम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhya-ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास: मध्यं गतम् ("gone to/located in the middle")

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bālamaṇḍana-liṅga kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra narrates as learned brāhmaṇas indicate to Indra a pure, auspicious central spot within a sacred region for liṅga establishment.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• Brāhmaṇas (Vipras)
• Liṅga
• Kṣetra (sacred region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is intentional: the ‘center’ of a kṣetra is portrayed as spiritually strategic for establishing Śiva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights an auspicious central location within the chapter’s kṣetra, within the broader Gayākūpī tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guided site-selection for liṅga-sthāpana: brāhmaṇas choose a śubha, pavitra, central spot for consecration.