Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

लिंगं संस्थापयामास ज्ञात्वा क्षेत्रमनुत्तमम् । अब्रवीच्च ततो वाक्यं मेघगंभीरया गिरा

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpayāmāsa jñātvā kṣetramanuttamam | abravīcca tato vākyaṃ meghagaṃbhīrayā girā

Translation

ക്ഷേത്രം അനുത്തമമെന്നു അറിഞ്ഞ് അദ്ദേഹം ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. തുടർന്ന് മേഘഗർജനപോലെ ഗംഭീരമായ സ്വരത്തിൽ വചനമുരച്ചു.

Word by Word

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• संस्थापयामास: he established
• संस्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada); णिजन्त-प्रयोग (causative)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; adjective qualifying क्षेत्रम्)

• अब्रवीत्: he said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/स्थान-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/काल-निर्देशक (indeclinable; from there/then)

• वाक्यम्: a statement, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• मेघगंभीरया: with a cloud-deep (thunderous)
• मेघगंभीरया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ-गंभीर (प्रातिपदिक; मेघ + गंभीर)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; qualifying गिरा)

• गिरा: voice
• गिरा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर्/गिरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating Yājñavalkya’s act)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra; Yājñavalkyeśvara-liṅga (as emerging identity)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭha (addressed later in v.175.16; the listener is a leading brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revered figure, having recognized an unsurpassed sacred field, installs a Śiva-liṅga; the atmosphere is charged, and he speaks with a voice like rumbling monsoon clouds as attendants watch in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Liṅga
• Anuttama Kṣetra (contextually Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography and sacred action unite: recognizing a kṣetra’s greatness culminates in worshipful establishment of Śiva’s liṅga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “anuttama kṣetra” of the adhyāya—connected with Hāṭakeśvara and praised as a destroyer of sins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpanā (liṅga-pratiṣṭhā): establishing/consecrating Śiva’s liṅga in the sacred kṣetra.