Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा शिवं च संस्थाप्य पूजयित्वा महेश्वरम् । कोटीश्वराभिधानं तु स्वस्वभक्त्या विधानतः

Transliteration

snātvā śivaṃ ca saṃsthāpya pūjayitvā maheśvaram | koṭīśvarābhidhānaṃ tu svasvabhaktyā vidhānataḥ

Translation

സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ശിവനെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ച് മഹേശ്വരനെ പൂജിച്ചതിന് ശേഷം—ഓരോരുത്തന്റെയും ഭക്തിയനുസരിച്ച് വിധിപൂർവ്വം—ആ പ്രഭു ‘കോടീശ്വരൻ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധനും ആരാധ്യനും ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्नात्वा (कृदन्त; √स्ना धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• संस्थाप्य: having installed/established
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संस्थाप्य (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु, उपसर्गः सम्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) from causative/denominative sense ‘to install/establish’; अव्ययभावः

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूजयित्वा (कृदन्त; √पूज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् ईश्वरः)

• कोटीश्वर-अभिधानम्: the name ‘Koṭīśvara’
• कोटीश्वर-अभिधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कोटीश्वरस्य अभिधानम्)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• स्व-स्व-भक्त्या: with each one’s own devotion
• स्व-स्व-भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (स्वं स्वं) + तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्धः (स्वस्वस्य भक्त्या)

• विधानतः: according to proper procedure
• विधानतः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘according to rule/procedure’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭī-tīrtha / Koṭīśvara-kṣetra (at Revā–Sāgara-saṅgama)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims emerge from the confluence after bathing; on a clean altar of sand/stone they set a Śiva-liṅga, adorn it with bilva and flowers, pour water, and offer lamps; the shrine is hailed as Koṭīśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Maheśvara
• Koṭīśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification through bathing and devotion expressed via proper worship culminate in a powerful Śaiva tīrtha experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭīśvara Tīrtha, centered on worship of Maheśvara as Koṭīśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing), Śiva-sthāpanā (installing a liṅga), and Maheśvara-pūjā according to vidhi.