Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

स्थापयित्वा विधिस्तत्र तीर्थं चैव त्रिलोचनम् । मुक्तेशं नाम देवस्य मोक्षतीर्थमरिंदम

Transliteration

sthāpayitvā vidhistatra tīrthaṃ caiva trilocanam | mukteśaṃ nāma devasya mokṣatīrthamariṃdama

Translation

അപ്പോൾ വിധി (ബ്രഹ്മാവ്) അവിടെ ഒരു തീർത്ഥവും, ത്രിലോചനൻ (ശിവൻ) എന്ന ദേവതയുടെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠയും സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. ഹേ അരിന്ദമ! ‘മുക്തേശ’ ദേവന്റെ ആ സ്ഥലം ‘മോക്ഷതീർത്ഥം’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായി.

Word by Word

• स्थापयित्वा: having established
• स्थापयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: णिजन्त-क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त — having established/installed

• विधिः: Brahmā (Vidhi)
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• त्रिलोचनम्: Trilocana (three-eyed Śiva)
• त्रिलोचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-समास (त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य) — epithet of Śiva

• मुक्तेशम्: Muktēśa (Lord of the liberated)
• मुक्तेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; तत्पुरुष (मुक्तानाम् ईशः)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः, संज्ञासूचक-अव्यय (indeclinable indicating name)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• मोक्षतीर्थम्: the Mokṣa-tīrtha (ford of liberation)
• मोक्षतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; तत्पुरुष (मोक्षस्य तीर्थम्)

• अरिंदम: O subduer of foes
• अरिंदम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिंदम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative (8th), Singular; संबोधन (address to listener)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mokṣa-tīrtha (Mukteśa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arindama (as addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (Vidhi) consecrates a tīrtha in the forest; a Śiva-liṅga or icon of Trilocana is established, with Mukteśa’s presence felt as a radiant axis of liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Vidhi)
• Trilocana (Śiva)
• Mukteśa
• Mokṣatīrtha
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes a gateway to mokṣa when sanctified by divine establishment and connected to a liberation-granting deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mokṣatīrtha associated with Mukteśa, and the establishment of Trilocana at Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Foundation/installation (sthāpana) of a tīrtha and deity-shrine is described as the sacralizing act.