Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

एतेष्वहं वरारोहे सर्वेष्वेव व्यवस्थितः । नाम्ना चान्येषु तीर्थेषु त्रिदशानां हितार्थतः

Transliteration

eteṣvahaṃ varārohe sarveṣveva vyavasthitaḥ | nāmnā cānyeṣu tīrtheṣu tridaśānāṃ hitārthataḥ

Translation

ഹേ വരാരോഹേ, ഈ എല്ലാ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലും ഞാൻ തന്നെ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; ദേവഗണങ്ങളുടെ ഹിതാർത്ഥമായി മറ്റു തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലും വിവിധ നാമങ്ങളാൽ ഞാൻ വിരാജിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• एतेषु: in these/among these
• एतेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• वरारोहे: O noble-hipped one
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरारोहा (प्रातिपदिक; वर + आरोहा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (वरम् आरोहः/आरोहा यस्याः)

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (एतेषु/तीर्थेषु)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थे (indeed/only)

• व्यवस्थितः: abiding/present
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘स्थितः/निविष्टः’

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• अन्येषु: in other
• अन्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थेषु)

• तीर्थेषु: in sacred places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• त्रिदशानाम्: of the gods
• त्रिदशानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + दश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः दश येषां—देवाः)

• हितार्थतः: for (their) benefit
• हितार्थतः: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हितार्थतः (अव्यय; हित + अर्थ + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; अर्थे—हितार्थेन/हिताय (for the sake of welfare)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha-adhivāsa (Śiva’s abiding in all tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (varārohā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single luminous Śiva-form radiating into many localized liṅgas/temples, each labeled with a different name; devas receive blessings, indicating ‘tridaśānāṃ hitārtha’ (for the gods’ welfare).

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī (Varārohā)
• Tridaśa (the gods)
• Tīrthas (concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine is accessible through tīrthas and through nāma (sacred names), showing a theology of omnipresence expressed via sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is singled out; the verse asserts Śiva’s establishment across all tīrthas, with distinct names in different locales.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice: remembering/using the appropriate divine name associated with each tīrtha.