Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

त्वयाऽत्रैव सदा वासः कार्यः सुरवरेश्वर । लिंगे कृत्वा दयां देव ममोपरि महत्तराम्

Transliteration

tvayā'traiva sadā vāsaḥ kāryaḥ suravareśvara | liṃge kṛtvā dayāṃ deva mamopari mahattarām

Translation

ഹേ ദേവശ്രേഷ്ഠേശ്വരാ! നിങ്ങൾ ഇവിടെ തന്നേ സദാ വസിക്കണം; ഈ ലിംഗത്തിൽ കരുണ സ്ഥാപിച്ച്, ഹേ ദേവാ, എനിക്കു മേൽ മഹത്തായ അനുഗ്രഹം ചൊരിയുക।

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृ-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Discourse (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• वासः: dwelling/residence
• वासः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कार्यः: should be made/done
• कार्यः: Karta-predicative (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; कृ धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थक (gerundive: 'to be done'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वासः)

• सुरवरेश्वर: O lord of the best of gods
• सुरवरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-वर-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सुराणां वराणां ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• लिंगे: in the liṅga
• लिंगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• दयाम्: compassion
• दयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपरि: upon/over
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश/अधिकरणार्थ (on/upon)

• महत्तराम्: greater
• महत्तराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्तर (प्रातिपदिक; महत्-तरा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीय-तुलनात्मक (comparative) विशेषणम् (दयाम्)

Speaker

Śaṅkha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahēśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkha petitions Śiva to remain eternally at the spot, with a liṅga embodying compassion; the scene suggests the first consecration moment—liṅga emerging/being installed near the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha
• Suravareśvara (Śiva)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes a living source of refuge when the Lord’s presence and compassion are invoked there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular Nāgara Khaṇḍa tīrtha centered on a liṅga and nearby sacred waters, whose fame is requested in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies liṅga-sthāpanā/saṅkalpa for divine residence; explicit snāna/pūjā instructions appear later in the passage.