Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कुबेर इति धर्मात्मा श्रुतशीलसमन्वितः । लिंगं प्रतिष्ठयामास न्यंकुमत्याश्च पूर्वतः

Transliteration

kubera iti dharmātmā śrutaśīlasamanvitaḥ | liṃgaṃ pratiṣṭhayāmāsa nyaṃkumatyāśca pūrvataḥ

Translation

ധർമ്മാത്മാവും ശ്രുതി-ജ്ഞാനവും സദാചാരവും ഉള്ള ‘കുബേരൻ’ ന്യങ്കുമതിയുടെ കിഴക്കുഭാഗത്ത് ഒരു ലിംഗം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• कुबेरः: Kubera
• कुबेरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुबेर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• इति: thus/called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशार्थक-अव्ययम् (quotative particle)

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled
• धर्मात्मा: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (धर्मः आत्मा यस्य सः)

• श्रुतशीलसमन्वितः: endowed with learning and good conduct
• श्रुतशीलसमन्वितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत-शील-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समन्वित (सम्-√नी + क्त) भूतकृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (श्रुतेन शीलेन च समन्वितः)

• लिङ्गम्: (Śiva-)liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रतिष्ठयामास: installed/established
• प्रतिष्ठयामास: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative sense: 'caused to be established/installed')

• न्यंकुमत्याः: of Nyankumatī
• न्यंकुमत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यंकुमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

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

• पूर्वतः: in front of/to the east of
• पूर्वतः: Adhikarana (Spatial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: 'in front/eastward')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kaubera-liṅga (east of Nyaṃkumatī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kubera, portrayed as a dharmic devotee, installs a Śiva-liṅga on the eastern side of the river; priests mark the ground, pour sanctified water, and raise a small shrine as dawn light falls from the east.

Characters & Entities

• Kubera
• Nyaṃkumatī (river)
• Śiva (Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True prosperity is aligned with dharma: Kubera’s greatness is expressed through establishing Śiva’s presence for the benefit of the region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The eastern vicinity of the Nyaṃkumatī river-bank within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, marked by Kubera’s Liṅga installation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (ritual establishment/installation of a Śiva-liṅga).