Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

ततो विप्रा नारदश्च समाराध्य महेश्वरम् । महीनगरके पुण्ये स्थापयामास शंकरम्

Transliteration

tato viprā nāradaśca samārādhya maheśvaram | mahīnagarake puṇye sthāpayāmāsa śaṃkaram

Translation

അനന്തരം വിപ്രന്മാർ നാരദനോടുകൂടെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം മഹേശ്വരനെ ആരാധിച്ചു, പുണ്യമായ മഹീനഗരകത്തിൽ ശങ്കരനെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'ततः' = 'तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम्' (thereafter/from that)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — nominative plural

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Co-subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) — conjunction

• समाराध्य: having worshipped/propitiated
• समाराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-राध् (धातु) → समाराध्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्ययभाव), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — having propitiated/worshipped

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Shiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular; समास: महा+ईश्वर (तत्पुरुष)

• महीनगरके: in the city called Mahīnagaraka
• महीनगरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीनगरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular; समास: मही+नगरक (तत्पुरुष)

• पुण्ये: holy/meritorious
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular; विशेषण (to महीनगरके)

• स्थापयामास: installed/caused to be established
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) स्थापय-; आस् (धातु) सहायक → स्थापयामास
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रास-परफ्रास्टिक परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — he caused to be established/installed

• शंकरम्: Shankara (Shiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahīnagaraka (kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas with Nārada perform Śiva-ārādhana—offerings, lamps, and Vedic recitation—then establish a Śaṅkara-liṅga in the sacred town of Mahīnagaraka; the atmosphere is ceremonial and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Śaṅkara
• Mahīnagaraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Community worship and proper propitiation culminate in sacred installation, turning geography into living tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahīnagaraka is identified as a holy locale where Śaṅkara is installed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samārādhana (formal worship/propitiation) leading to sthāpana (installation) of Śaṅkara (liṅga).