Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

गंगायमुनयोः पार्श्वे शूद्रकेश्वरसंज्ञितम् । लिगं संस्थापितं तेन सर्वपातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

gaṃgāyamunayoḥ pārśve śūdrakeśvarasaṃjñitam | ligaṃ saṃsthāpitaṃ tena sarvapātakanāśanam

Translation

गंगा-यमुनेच्या तटाजवळ त्याने ‘शूद्रकेश्वर’ नावाचे शिवलिंग स्थापिले; ते सर्व पातकांचा नाश करणारे आहे.

Word by Word

• गङ्गायमुनयोः: of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā
• गङ्गायमुनयोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā + yamunā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे द्वे), षष्ठी (6th case), द्विवचन; ‘of Gaṅgā and Yamunā’

• पार्श्वे: at the side/bank
• पार्श्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• शूद्रकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: called ‘Śūdrakeśvara’
• शूद्रकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūdra + īśvara + saṃjñita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘śūdrakeśvara-iti saṃjñitaṃ’ (named Śūdrakeśvara)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संस्थापितम्: established
• संस्थापितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘was established’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (instrumental)

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + pātaka + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘sarveṣāṃ pātakānāṃ nāśanam’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūdrakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank where Gaṅgā and Yamunā are both present, the devotee installs a dark stone liṅga on a pedestal; priests and pilgrims witness the consecration, with the rivers flowing like living deities behind.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Śūdrakeśvara
• Śiva (Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing and honoring a Śiva-liṅga at a sacred river-site is portrayed as a direct means to the destruction of sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Śaiva shrine named Śūdrakeśvara located beside the Gaṅgā and Yamunā, within the tīrtha-setting of their confluence region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act of installing (saṃsthāpana) a Śiva-liṅga at the tīrtha is highlighted as meritorious and sin-destroying.