Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । एकादशप्रकारा या मूर्तयो निर्मिता मया । एताभिरेव सर्वाभिः स्थास्याम्यत्र सदैव हि

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | ekādaśaprakārā yā mūrtayo nirmitā mayā | etābhireva sarvābhiḥ sthāsyāmyatra sadaiva hi

Translation

ശ്രീഭഗവാൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഞാൻ ഏകാദശവിധമായി പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെടുത്തിയ മൂർത്തികൾ ഇവയാണ്; അവയൊക്കെയായ രൂപങ്ങളിലൂടെയും ഞാൻ ഇവിടെ സദാ നിത്യമായി അധിവസിക്കും.

Word by Word

• श्रीभगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• श्रीभगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + भगवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• एकादशप्रकाराः: of eleven kinds
• एकादशप्रकाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश-प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक; एकादश + प्रकार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मूर्तयः)

• याः: which
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• मूर्तयः: forms
• मूर्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• निर्मिताः: were created
• निर्मिताः: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + मि (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (passive sense)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एताभिः: by these
• एताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• सर्वाभिः: with all (of them)
• सर्वाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (एताभिः)

• स्थास्यामि: I shall remain
• स्थास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव (अव्यय-समासवत् प्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (reason/emphasis)

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Rudra/Śiva in this context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvāmitra-hrada (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas/brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord speaks to assembled brāhmaṇas, proclaiming that He will abide forever in eleven manifested forms at the tīrtha; the setting suggests a sacred waterbody and newly established icons/marks of presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Bhagavān
• Ekādaśa-mūrtayaḥ (eleven forms)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are sanctified by the Lord’s vowed presence, making worship there especially potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, where the Lord promises to remain in eleven manifested forms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit encouragement of worship of the Lord’s eleven mūrtis at this site.