Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

नाम्ना नलेश्वरं देवि स्थापितं तु नलेन वै । दमयन्तीयुतेनैव ज्ञात्वा क्षेत्रं तदुत्तमम्

Transliteration

nāmnā naleśvaraṃ devi sthāpitaṃ tu nalena vai | damayantīyutenaiva jñātvā kṣetraṃ taduttamam

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി! അതിന് ‘നലേശ്വരം’ എന്ന നാമം; ആ ഉത്തമ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ മഹിമ അറിഞ്ഞ് രാജാവ് നളൻ ദമയന്തിയോടുകൂടെ തന്നെ അത് സ്ഥാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• नाम्ना: by name; named
• नाम्ना: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• नलेश्वरम्: Naleśvara
• नलेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नलस्य ईश्वरः)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्थापितम्: established
• स्थापितम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• नलेन: by Nala
• नलेन: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• दमयन्ती: Damayantī
• दमयन्ती: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमयन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• युतेन: together with
• युतेन: Karana (Accompaniment/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; 'युक्त/सहित' अर्थे

• एव: only; indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• उत्तमम्: excellent; best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continued instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naleśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Nala and Queen Damayantī, travel-worn yet radiant, perform liṅga-pratiṣṭhā: placing the liṅga, pouring water, offering flowers; sages witness as the kṣetra glows with sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Naleśvara
• Nala
• Damayantī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When great souls recognize a place’s sanctity, they consecrate it through devotion, turning geography into living dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naleśvara (a Śiva-liṅga/tīrtha) in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it narrates the founding (sthāpana) by Nala with Damayantī.