Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

संस्थाप्य सुमहल्लिंगं प्रासादे रत्नमंडिते । बलिपूजोपहाराद्यैः पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

saṃsthāpya sumahalliṃgaṃ prāsāde ratnamaṃḍite | balipūjopahārādyaiḥ puṣpadhūpānulepanaiḥ

Translation

രത്നങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിച്ച പ്രാസാദ-ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ അവൻ അതിമഹത്തായ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; ബലി, പൂജ, ഉപഹാരങ്ങൾ—പുഷ്പം, ധൂപം, അനുലേപനം മുതലായവകൊണ്ട് ആരാധിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• संस्थाप्य: having स्थापित/installed
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग) + क्त्वा/ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having installed/established)

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सु-महत् = 'very great')

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

• प्रासादे: in the temple/palace
• प्रासादे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• रत्नमण्डिते: adorned with jewels
• रत्नमण्डिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न + मण्डित (मण्ड् धातु + क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रासादे); तत्पुरुष (रत्नैः मण्डितः)

• बलि: offering
• बलि: Upapada member (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग) पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक; 'offering'

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Upapada member (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग) स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक

• उपहार: gift, offering
• उपहार: Upapada member (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग) पुंलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक

• आद्यैः: and the like
• आद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'etc.'-sense as adjective to the compound set

• बलिपूजोपहाराद्यैः: with offerings, worship, gifts, etc.
• बलिपूजोपहाराद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि + पूजा + उपहार + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थ (with offerings, worship, gifts, etc.)

• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: with flowers, incense, and unguents
• पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + धूप + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन; समुच्चय-द्वन्द्व (with flowers, incense, and unguents)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a jewel-adorned temple-palace, the king installs a grand Śiva-liṅga and performs worship with bali, honors, offerings, flowers, incense smoke, and fragrant unguents.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Camatkārapura (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred place and sacred form unite: establishing and worshiping the Liṅga with devotion makes the kṣetra a living doorway to Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship is situated at Camatkārapura kṣetra where the Liṅga is installed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation) and pūjā with bali/upahāra, flowers (puṣpa), incense (dhūpa), and anointing/unguents (anulepana).