Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततस्तूर्णं सह साक्षः सहस्राक्षेशसंज्ञितम् । लिंगं संस्थापयामास स्वयमेव द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tatastūrṇaṃ saha sākṣaḥ sahasrākṣeśasaṃjñitam | liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpayāmāsa svayameva dvijottamāḥ

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ, തുടർന്ന് സഹസ്രാക്ഷൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) ത്വരിതമായി സ്വയം ‘സഹസ്രാക്ഷേശ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിലുള്ള ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: quickly)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपसर्गवत् (prepositional adverb: with)

• साक्षः: with (his) companion/attendant (reading uncertain)
• साक्षः: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पाठान्तर/संदिग्ध-रूपम्—सम्भवतः ‘सहसाक्षः’/‘सह साक्षः’)

• सहस्राक्षेशसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Sahasrākṣeśa’
• सहस्राक्षेशसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्राक्ष + ईश + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; ‘सहस्राक्षेश’ (= सहस्राक्षस्य ईशः/ईश-सम्बन्धः) + ‘संज्ञित’ (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति विशेषणम्

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

• संस्थापयामास: caused to be established; installed
• संस्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic perfect/आम-प्रयोग), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Agent emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण (particle: indeed/only)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best brāhmaṇas / best brāhmaṇa
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘उत्तमः द्विजः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (पाठे बहुवचनम्—वाक्ये कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे असंगतिः, सम्भवतः ‘द्विजोत्तमः’ एकवचनम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasrākṣeśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, radiant yet penitent, installs a black stone liṅga on a pedestal; priests and devas witness as sacred waters and flowers are offered in consecration.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa/Śakra)
• Sahasrākṣeśa (Śiva-liṅga)
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti expressed through liṅga-pratiṣṭhā is upheld as a powerful means of purification and restoration of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha associated with the Sahasrākṣeśa liṅga, established by Indra within this Adhyāya’s sacred-geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpanā/pratiṣṭhā (installation of a Śiva-liṅga), presented as a dhārmic act linked to purification.