Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

नारदेनापि मत्तीरे स्थानं संस्थाप्य शोभनम् । सर्वेभ्यः पुण्यक्षेत्रेभ्यो दत्तं श्रैष्ठ्यं पुरा मम

Transliteration

nāradenāpi mattīre sthānaṃ saṃsthāpya śobhanam | sarvebhyaḥ puṇyakṣetrebhyo dattaṃ śraiṣṭhyaṃ purā mama

Translation

നാരദനും എന്റെ തീരത്ത് ഒരു ശോഭനമായ പുണ്യപീഠം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. പൂർവകാലത്ത് എല്ലാ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രങ്ങളിലുമേൽ എനിക്ക് ശ്രേഷ്ഠത ദത്തമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• नारदेन: by Nārada
• नारदेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental case, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/also)

• मत्-तीरे: on my bank/shore
• मत्-तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मम तीरम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्थानम्: a place/seat
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• संस्थाप्य: having established
• संस्थाप्य: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); सम्-उपसर्गपूर्वक √स्था — having established

• शोभनम्: beautiful
• शोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषणम् (स्थानम्)

• सर्वेभ्यः: from all
• सर्वेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Ablative, Plural; विशेषणम् (पुण्यक्षेत्रेभ्यः)

• पुण्य-क्षेत्रेभ्यः: from holy fields/pilgrimage-sites
• पुण्य-क्षेत्रेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (पुण्यं क्षेत्रम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• दत्तम्: was given/bestowed
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — given (agreeing with श्रैष्ठ्यम्)

• श्रैष्ठ्यम्: pre-eminence/supremacy
• श्रैष्ठ्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रैष्ठ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• मम: of me/mine
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

Speaker

Tīrtharāja (Mahīsāgara-saṅgama personified)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a luminous riverbank, sage Nārada establishes a beautiful sacred seat/altar (sthāna) with ritual implements; the tīrtha itself is personified, radiating authority as ‘pre-eminent among kṣetras’.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mahīsāgara-saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saintly consecration (ṛṣi-pratiṣṭhā) amplifies a place’s sanctity, making it a recognized center among puṇyakṣetras.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahīsāgara-saṅgama, whose bank is sanctified by Nārada’s established sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Establishing a sacred place/shrine (sthāna-saṃsthāpanā) is mentioned.