Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अथवा कोटिशो देवा मुनयो नैव संख्यया । सर्वे चेत्स्थापयिष्यंति लिंगान्यत्र महीतटे

Transliteration

athavā koṭiśo devā munayo naiva saṃkhyayā | sarve cetsthāpayiṣyaṃti liṃgānyatra mahītaṭe

Translation

അല്ലെങ്കിൽ കോടിക്കണക്കിന് ദേവന്മാരും എണ്ണമറ്റ മുനിമാരും—എല്ലാവരും ഇവിടെ ഈ തീരത്ത് ലിംഗങ്ങൾ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചാൽ—(സ്ഥലം പരമപവിത്രമാകും)।

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle: or/otherwise)

• कोटिशः: by crores; in countless millions
• कोटिशः: Quantifier (परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तद्धित-प्रयोगवत् अव्यय; परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: by crores, in tens of millions)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (कर्ता) (co-subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle: indeed/just)

• संख्यया: by counting; by number
• संख्यया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारे (instr. of measure/means)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier of देवाः मुनयः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. pl.)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Condition marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle: if)

• स्थापयिष्यन्ति: will establish/install
• स्थापयिष्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (स्थापय)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (neut. acc. pl.)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• महीतटे: on the earth’s bank/shore
• महीतटे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मह्याः तटे (loc. sg.)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration of the devas’ deliberation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-taṭa (Mahī riverbank) at Mahīsāgara-saṅgama

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast panorama: countless devas and sages arrive in waves, each selecting a spot on the Mahi bank to set a liṅga; the shoreline becomes dotted with shrines stretching into the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Munis
• Mahī (river)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy site’s sanctity is magnified by repeated, communal acts of devotion and sacred establishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahī riverbank (mahītaṭa), within the Mahī–Sāgara saṅgama tīrtha setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The contemplated act is widespread liṅga-sthāpana—many devas and sages establishing liṅgas on the riverbank.