Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तेनैव भूभुजा तत्र लिंगं संस्थापितं शुभम् । आनर्तेश्वरसंज्ञं च सर्व सिद्धिप्रदं नृणाम्

Transliteration

tenaiva bhūbhujā tatra liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpitaṃ śubham | ānarteśvarasaṃjñaṃ ca sarva siddhipradaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

Par ce même souverain fut établi là un liṅga de bon augure, nommé Ānarteśvara, dispensant aux hommes toute réussite spirituelle.

Word by Word

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/particle: ‘indeed/only’)

• bhūbhujā: by the king
• bhūbhujā: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-bhuj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भूः + भुज् = भूमिं भुङ्क्ते इति ‘king’)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/locative adverb)

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्म (object)

• saṃsthāpitam: established
• saṃsthāpitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√sthā (स्था धातु) + ṇic (causative) → saṃsthāpaya + kta (क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘established’

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (liṅgam)

• ānarta-īśvara-saṃjñam: named ‘Ānarteśvara’
• ānarta-īśvara-saṃjñam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ānarta (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (आनर्तस्य ईश्वरः; तस्य संज्ञा यस्य = ‘named Ānarteśvara’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• sarva: all
• sarva: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (siddhipradam)

• siddhi-pradam: granting success
• siddhi-pradam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (√dā धातु + प्र; ‘giver’ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सिद्धिं प्रददाति इति)

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

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarteśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king performs liṅga-pratiṣṭhā beside a sacred pond: priests chant, kalasha waters are poured, the liṅga is adorned with bilva and garlands; the name ‘Ānarteśvara’ is proclaimed as devotees gather.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarteśvara
• Śiva (implied by liṅga)
• King Ānarta/Suhaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Founding and honoring Śiva’s liṅga in a sacred place is portrayed as a powerful dharmic act that yields broad spiritual attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Ānarteśvara liṅga shrine established at the same locality as the deva-made pond described in Adhyāya 65.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (establishing a liṅga) is referenced as the foundational sacred act.