Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

तल्लिंगं स्थापयामास गोकर्णे गणनायकः । इन्द्रो ब्रह्मा मुकुन्दश्च विश्वेदेवा मरुद्गणाः

Transliteration

talliṃgaṃ sthāpayāmāsa gokarṇe gaṇanāyakaḥ | indro brahmā mukundaśca viśvedevā marudgaṇāḥ

Translation

ആ ലിംഗം ഗോകർണത്തിൽ ശിവഗണങ്ങളുടെ നായകൻ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. ഇന്ദ്രൻ, ബ്രഹ്മാവ്, മുകുന്ദൻ (വിഷ്ണു), വിശ്വേദേവന്മാർ, മരുത്ഗണങ്ങൾ ഭക്തിയോടെ സന്നിഹിതരായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘that’ (referring to the liṅga)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तल्लिङ्गम्: that liṅga
• तल्लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सन्धि-समासवत् प्रयोगः: ‘तत् लिङ्गम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्थापयामास: established
• स्थापयामास: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): ‘स्थापितवान्/caused to be established’

• गोकर्णे: in Gokarṇa
• गोकर्णे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• गण: gaṇa (attendant group)
• गण: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समासाङ्ग); ‘group/gaṇa’

• नायकः: leader
• नायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘leader’

• गणनायकः: leader of the gaṇas
• गणनायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘गणानां नायकः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुकुन्दः: Mukunda (Viṣṇu)
• मुकुन्दः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुकुन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’

• विश्वेदेवाः: the Viśvedevas
• विश्वेदेवाः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वे + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘विश्वे देवाः’ (a class of gods); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मरुत्: Maruts
• मरुत्: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समासाङ्ग); ‘Marut’

• गणाः: groups
• गणाः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मरुद्गणाः: groups of Maruts
• मरुद्गणाः: Karta (Listed subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मरुतां गणाः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice not identifiable from the isolated verse; likely Purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇa Mahābaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand consecration scene: a gaṇa-nāyaka installs the liṅga at Gokarṇa; Indra, Brahmā, Viṣṇu (Mukunda), Viśvedevās, and Maruts assemble in the sky and temple courtyard, showering flowers in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Gokarṇa
• Gaṇanāyaka
• Indra
• Brahmā
• Mukunda (Viṣṇu)
• Viśvedevās
• Maruts

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of a tīrtha is reinforced through liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and the endorsement of divine assemblies, establishing it as a major Śaiva pilgrimage center.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokarṇa, as the place of liṅga installation and deva veneration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpanā/pratiṣṭhā (installation/establishment of the liṅga) is explicitly mentioned.