Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अहमस्मिन्स्वके सेतौ शंकरत्रितयं शुभम् । स्थापयिष्यामि कीर्त्यर्थं तत्पूज्यं भवता सदा । भक्तिमान्प्रतिसंधाय यावच्चंद्रार्कतारकम्

Transliteration

ahamasminsvake setau śaṃkaratritayaṃ śubham | sthāpayiṣyāmi kīrtyarthaṃ tatpūjyaṃ bhavatā sadā | bhaktimānpratisaṃdhāya yāvaccaṃdrārkatārakam

Translation

എന്റെ ഈ സ്വകീയ സേതുവിൽ കീർത്തിക്കായി ശുഭമായ ശങ്കരലിംഗങ്ങളുടെ ത്രയം ഞാൻ സ്ഥാപിക്കും; നീ ഭക്തിയോടെ മനസ്സുറപ്പിച്ച്, ചന്ദ്ര-സൂര്യ-നക്ഷത്രങ്ങൾ നിലനിൽക്കുന്നത്രയും കാലം, അവയെ സദാ പൂജിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्वके: own
• स्वके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (सेतौ)

• सेतौ: on the bridge/causeway
• सेतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• शंकर-त्रितयम्: a triad of Śaṅkaras (three liṅgas)
• शंकर-त्रितयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शंकराणां त्रितयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (त्रितयम्)

• स्थापयिष्यामि: I will स्थापित/establish
• स्थापयिष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) स्थापय + लृट्
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• कीर्ति-अर्थम्: for (my) fame
• कीर्ति-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयुक्तम् (purpose adverbial) = ‘for the sake of fame’

• तत्-पूज्यम्: to be worshipped
• तत्-पूज्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पूज्य (पूज् धातोः यत्/ण्यत् कृत्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तत् पूज्यम् = ‘that is to be worshipped’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्रितयम् इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• भवता: by you (sir)
• भवता: Karta/Agent (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• भक्तिमान्: devout
• भक्तिमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + मतुप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (भवता)

• प्रतिसंधाय: having resolved/with intent
• प्रतिसंधाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + सं + धा (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) = ‘having resolved/with intent’

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक (limit marker)

• चन्द्र-अर्क-तारकम्: (till) moon, sun, and stars (endure)
• चन्द्र-अर्क-तारकम्: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (चन्द्रः च अर्कः च तारकाः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् कालावधौ (यावत् ... )

Speaker

Śrī Rāma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-bandha with Śaṅkara-tritaya (triad of liṅgas)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the stone causeway of the Setu, Śrī Rāma declares he will install three auspicious Śaṅkara-liṅgas; priests/attendants prepare a sanctified platform, with the ocean on both sides and vānaras assisting; Vibhīṣaṇa listens, receiving the charge of perpetual worship.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Rāma
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Setu (Setubandha)
• Rāmeśvara
• Vibhīṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes enduring when anchored in sacred acts—installing and worshipping Śiva at a tīrtha transforms history into living dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setubandha and Rāmeśvara (Rāmeśvaram), where Śiva is worshipped as the sanctifier of the crossing and the victory’s culmination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-liṅga pratiṣṭhā (installation) and nitya-pūjā (regular worship) performed with steadfast bhakti.