Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । तत्रैव स्थापितं लिंगं धुन्धुमारेण भूभुजा । सर्वरत्नमयं कृत्वा प्रासादं सुमनोहरम्

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | tatraiva sthāpitaṃ liṃgaṃ dhundhumāreṇa bhūbhujā | sarvaratnamayaṃ kṛtvā prāsādaṃ sumanoharam

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവിടെയേ രാജാവ് ധുന്ധുമാരൻ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; എല്ലാ രത്നങ്ങളാലും നിർമ്മിതമായ അതിമനോഹരമായ പ്രാസാദം (ക്ഷേത്രം) പണിതു.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• स्थापितम्: installed/established
• स्थापितम्: Karma-visheshana (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति कर्मपदस्य विशेषणम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma/Pradhana (Main entity/प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• धुन्धुमारेण: by Dhundhumāra
• धुन्धुमारेण: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धुन्धुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• भूभुजा: by the king
• भूभुजा: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; ‘राजा’ इत्यर्थे

• सर्व-रत्न-मयम्: made of all gems
• सर्व-रत्न-मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वैः रत्नैः मयः)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तं अव्ययकृदन्तम् (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• प्रासादम्: a palace/temple
• प्रासादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• सु-मनोहरम्: very beautiful
• सु-मनोहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (अत्यन्तं मनोहरः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhundhumāreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Dhundhumāra installs a liṅga; artisans raise a dazzling prāsāda studded with gems; priests perform consecration rites; the temple gleams like a mountain of jewels.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dhundhumāra
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing a liṅga and building a temple are celebrated as kingly acts of devotion that anchor sanctity in a place for the benefit of all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shrine of Dhundhumāreśvara (the liṅga installed by King Dhundhumāra) within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga installation (pratiṣṭhā) and consecrated temple-building as devotional acts.