Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

प्रासादं तत्कृते मुख्यं विधायाद्भुतदर्शनम् । कैलासशिखराकारं तपस्तेपे तदग्रतः

Transliteration

prāsādaṃ tatkṛte mukhyaṃ vidhāyādbhutadarśanam | kailāsaśikharākāraṃ tapastepe tadagrataḥ

Translation

彼はそれのために、驚嘆すべき美観を備え、カイラーサ山の峰に似せた主たる神殿を建立し、その前で苦行（タパス）を修した。

Word by Word

• प्रासादम्: palace; temple-building
• प्रासादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.)

• तत्: for that; in that (regard)
• तत्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (Loc. sg.) (कृते इत्यनेन सह)

• कृते: for the sake of
• कृते: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण निपातवत् (locative used idiomatically): ‘कृते’ = for the sake of, on account of

• मुख्यम्: principal; excellent
• मुख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.); विशेषणम् (प्रासाद-विशेषणम्)

• विधाय: having made
• विधाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+धा (धातु) → विधाय (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund); ‘having constructed/arranged’

• अद्भुतदर्शनम्: of wondrous appearance
• अद्भुतदर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.); ‘अद्भुतं दर्शनं यस्य’/‘अद्भुत-दर्शन’ = of wondrous appearance

• कैलासशिखराकारम्: shaped like Kailāsa’s peak
• कैलासशिखराकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक) + शिखर (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.); ‘कैलासस्य शिखरस्य आकारः’ = shaped like the peak of Kailāsa

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.)

• तेपे: performed (penance)
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-एकवचनम् (Gen. sg.); विशेषणम्

• अग्रतः: in front; before
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied by Sūta narration frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A magnificent temple rises, its śikhara resembling Kailāsa’s peak; artisans carve stone while the king performs austerities before the liṅga—fire of tapas mirrored by the mountain-like prāsāda.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīpāla
• Kailāsa
• Śiva-liṅga (Kalaśeśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred architecture offered to Śiva, joined with austerity, is portrayed as powerful worship that transforms the devotee.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The temple is built at the Kalaśeśvara sacred precinct described in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Constructing a temple for the liṅga and performing tapas before it are the key devotional acts indicated.