Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । तस्यैव दक्षिणे भागे वालखिल्यैः प्रतिष्ठितम् । लिंगमस्ति सुविख्यातं सर्वपातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | tasyaiva dakṣiṇe bhāge vālakhilyaiḥ pratiṣṭhitam | liṃgamasti suvikhyātaṃ sarvapātakanāśanam

Translation

ಸೂತನು ಹೇಳಿದರು: ಅದರ ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಲಖಿಲ್ಯ ಋಷಿಗಳು ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪಿಸಿದ, ಸರ್ವಪಾತಕನಾಶಕವಾದ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಲಿಂಗವಿದೆ.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘of it/of that (place)’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): indeed, just

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण of भागे

• भागे: part/side
• भागे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• वालखिल्यैः: by the Vālakhilya sages
• वालखिल्यैः: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate: established

• लिङ्गम्: a liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सुविख्यातम्: very renowned
• सुविख्यातम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of लिङ्गम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + विख्यात (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त: वि-ख्या + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सु-विख्यातम्) = very famous

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of लिङ्गम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पातक + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशनम्) = destroyer of all sins

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudraśīrṣa (southern liṅga)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣayaḥ (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small but radiant liṅga-shrine on the southern side of a sacred area; Vālakhilya sages (tiny, ascetic, radiant) are shown establishing or venerating the liṅga; pilgrims approach for darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vālakhilya sages
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy sites are sanctified by sage-consecration, and worship there is praised as a means of removing even grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A famous liṅga on the southern side of the previously described sacred spot, consecrated by the Vālakhilyas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed ritual is stated; the verse identifies the liṅga and its sin-destroying potency, implying worship/visit.