Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

स्थापितं प्रवरं लिंगं नाम्ना मोक्षेश्वरं हरम् । दर्भाग्रेण ततः पार्थ कूपं खनितवानहम्

Transliteration

sthāpitaṃ pravaraṃ liṃgaṃ nāmnā mokṣeśvaraṃ haram | darbhāgreṇa tataḥ pārtha kūpaṃ khanitavānaham

Translation

我はハラ（シヴァ）の最勝のリンガを「モークシェーシュヴァラ」と名づけて安置した。ついで、パールタよ、ダルバ草の先で井戸を掘った。

Word by Word

• sthāpitam: established; set up
• sthāpitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + ita (क्त) → sthāpita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying liṅgam)

• pravaram: excellent; best
• pravaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pravara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (acc sg)

• nāmnā: by the name
• nāmnā: Karaṇa (Means/Designation/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (instr sg); नाम-निर्देशे (by name)

• mokṣeśvaram: Mokṣeśvara
• mokṣeśvaram: Karma (Apposition/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; मोक्ष + ईश्वर)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘मोक्षस्य ईश्वरः’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; नामरूपेण

• haram: Hara (Śiva)
• haram: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; mokṣeśvaram इत्यस्य समानाधिकरण-विशेष्य (appositional)

• darbhāgreṇa: with the tip of darbha grass
• darbhāgreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darbha-agra (प्रातिपदिक; दर्भ + अग्र)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘दर्भस्य अग्रं’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

• pārtha: O Pārtha
• pārtha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• kūpam: a well
• kūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (acc sg)

• khanitavān: dug
• khanitavān: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √khan (धातु) + itavat (क्तवत्) → khanitavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त, past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘dug’

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nom sg)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mokṣeśvara (Mokṣa-liṅga) and its kūpa-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful devotee/sage installs a shining Śiva-liṅga named Mokṣeśvara; then, touching the earth with the tip of a darbha blade, he miraculously opens a well as clear water springs forth.

Characters & Entities

• Mokṣeśvara
• Hara (Śiva)
• Pārtha
• darbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecration of Śiva (liṅga-pratiṣṭhā) and creation of tīrtha-water are portrayed as deliberate acts to anchor liberation in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mokṣeśvara liṅga and the associated well (kūpa) that becomes part of the tīrtha complex described in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga installation and the ritual act of digging/manifesting a well using darbha, a sanctifying Vedic grass.