Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

याचते यत्र गांगेयः स्वयमेव तथा परः । धृतराष्ट्रः सपुत्रश्च पांडवाश्च महाबलाः । लिंगसंस्थापनार्थाय निषेधस्तत्र नार्हति

Transliteration

yācate yatra gāṃgeyaḥ svayameva tathā paraḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ saputraśca pāṃḍavāśca mahābalāḥ | liṃgasaṃsthāpanārthāya niṣedhastatra nārhati

Translation

ഗാംഗേയൻ (ഭീഷ്മൻ) സ്വയം, അതുപോലെ മറ്റുള്ളവർ—പുത്രന്മാരോടുകൂടിയ ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രനും മഹാബലികളായ പാണ്ഡവരും—ശിവലിംഗസ്ഥാപനാർത്ഥം അപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നിടത്ത്, അവിടെ തടസ്സം വരുത്തുന്നത് യുക്തമല്ല।

Word by Word

• याचते: asks; requests
• याचते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (relative adverb of place)

• गांगेयः: Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• गांगेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गांगेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Adverbial (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (reflexive adverb)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (निपात)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphasis)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb)

• परः: another (person)
• परः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• धृतराष्ट्रः: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• सपुत्रः: together with (his) son(s)
• सपुत्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (सह पुत्रेण); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying धृतराष्ट्रः)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• पाण्डवाः: the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• महाबलाः: mighty; of great strength
• महाबलाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (महद् बलं येषाम्/महाबलाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying पाण्डवाः)

• लिङ्गसंस्थापनार्थाय: for the purpose of establishing the liṅga
• लिङ्गसंस्थापनार्थाय: Prayojana/Purpose (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + संस्थापन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष-समासः (लिङ्गस्य संस्थापनस्य अर्थाय); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक-समूहः; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Dative: “for the purpose of…”)

• निषेधः: prohibition; objection
• निषेधः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there; in that case
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• अर्हति: is proper; is fitting
• अर्हति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (narration continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅga-sthāpana-sthala at Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīṣma and the royal elders petition for land/permission to establish a Śiva-liṅga; a ritual ground is prepared with a pedestal, kalasha, and priests; dissenters are silenced by dharma-argument.

Characters & Entities

• Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kauravas (implied by 'sons')
• Pāṇḍavas
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a sacred act like liṅga स्थापना is undertaken, especially endorsed by revered figures, refusing support is portrayed as adharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is a tīrtha-māhātmya; this verse glorifies the place indirectly by associating it with epic heroes and liṅga स्थापना.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-saṃsthāpana (installation/establishment of a Śiva-liṅga) is explicitly mentioned; the surrounding context implies support through land/temple patronage.