Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । इत्युक्त्वा ते द्विजास्तत्र स्थाप्य लिंगं यथाविधि । अमरकण्टकतीर्थे नर्मदां च महानदीम्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | ityuktvā te dvijāstatra sthāpya liṃgaṃ yathāvidhi | amarakaṇṭakatīrthe narmadāṃ ca mahānadīm

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മാവ് അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ ശേഷം ആ ദ്വിജന്മാർ അവിടെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ലിംഗം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു; അമരകണ്ടക തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ മഹാനദിയായ നർമദയുടെ തീരത്ത്.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural)

• द्विजाः: twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nominative plural); ‘ते’ इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन्

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

• स्थाप्य: having installed
• स्थाप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) ‘having installed/placing’

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

• यथाविधि: according to rule
• यथाविधि: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण

• अमरकण्टकतीर्थे: at the Amarakāṇṭaka tīrtha
• अमरकण्टकतीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरकण्टक (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• नर्मदाम्: Narmadā
• नर्मदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महानदीम्: the great river
• महानदीम्: Karma (Object/Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular); ‘नर्मदाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण अपि

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakantaka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of austere brāhmaṇas at the Narmadā’s sacred bank in Amarakantaka, performing liṅga-pratiṣṭhā with Vedic implements—kalaśas, darbha, fire altar—while the river flows majestically through forested hills.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Dvija
• Śiva-liṅga
• Amarakaṇṭaka
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are sanctified not only by nature but also by dharma-based rites such as liṅga-pratiṣṭhā performed by qualified practitioners.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Amarakaṇṭaka tīrtha on the Narmadā Mahānadī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yathāvidhi installation (pratiṣṭhā) of a Śiva-liṅga.