Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

यदा संस्थापितः शंभुर्नलेन पृथिवीभुजा । तदा तुष्टेन स प्रोक्तो ब्रूहि किं ते करोम्यहम्

Transliteration

yadā saṃsthāpitaḥ śaṃbhurnalena pṛthivībhujā | tadā tuṣṭena sa prokto brūhi kiṃ te karomyaham

Translation

Lorsque Śambhu fut établi par Nala, souverain de la terre, le Seigneur, satisfait, lui dit : «Parle ; que veux-tu que je fasse pour toi ?»

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: when)

• संस्थापितः: was installed/established
• संस्थापितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था-पित (कृदन्त; स्था धातु, णिच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘स्थापित/installed’

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नलेन: by Nala
• नलेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पृथिवीभुजा: by the king (earth-ruler)
• पृथिवीभुजा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी-भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः: पृथिव्याः भुक् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) = राजा

• तदा: then
• तदा: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: then)

• तुष्टेन: by the pleased (one)
• तुष्टेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त; तुष् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘pleased’; विशेषण (शम्भुना)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: was addressed
• प्रोक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘addressed/said (to)’; कर्मणि भाव

• ब्रूहि: say/tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• ते: for you/of you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• करोमि: I do
• करोमि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Śambhu (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Nala, crowned and humble, completes Śiva-liṅga installation with priests; Śambhu manifests or is felt as a radiant presence, speaking: 'Ask what I shall do for you.'

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Nala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecrating Śiva with devotion (pratiṣṭhā) invites divine grace, expressed as the Lord’s readiness to grant a boon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Śaiva shrine and its associated kuṇḍa in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, Adhyāya 55, established through Nala’s installation of Śambhu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā/saṃsthāpanā (installation/enshrinement) of Śambhu by a king.