Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ततो हृष्टश्चतुर्वक्त्रः स्थापयामास तत्क्षणात् । लिगं माहेश्वरं तत्र कपालेश्वरसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

tato hṛṣṭaścaturvaktraḥ sthāpayāmāsa tatkṣaṇāt | ligaṃ māheśvaraṃ tatra kapāleśvarasaṃjñitam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഹർഷിതനായ ചതുര്വക്ത്രൻ (ബ്രഹ്മാവ്) അതേ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ അവിടെ മാഹേശ്വര ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; അത് ‘കപാലേശ്വര’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായി.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (sequential adverb)

• हृष्टः: delighted
• हृष्टः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष् (धातु) → हृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (nominative singular masculine)

• चतुर्वक्त्रः: the four-faced (Brahmā)
• चतुर्वक्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (चत्वारि वक्त्राणि यस्य); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (epithet of Brahmā)

• स्थापयामास: established
• स्थापयामास: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापय (णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद, periphrastic perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately
• तत्क्षणात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-प्रयोगार्थ (ablatival adverb)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (accusative singular neuter)

• माहेश्वरम्: of Maheśvara (Śiva)
• माहेश्वरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (agreeing with लिङ्गम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• कपालेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Kapāleśvara’
• कपालेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Naming epithet/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपालेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कपालेश्वर इति संज्ञा यस्य/यत्); भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (agreeing with लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four-faced Brahmā, radiant and delighted, performs immediate liṅga-pratiṣṭhā on the newly purified ground; attendants and sages witness the naming of Kapāleśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Caturvaktra
• Śiva
• Kapāleśvara
• liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha gains enduring sanctity through divine installation (pratiṣṭhā) and a revealed deity-name.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara, the Maheśvara-liṅga established in this kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā is described (installation), implying worship centered on the Kapāleśvara liṅga.