Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

श्रूयतां मद्वचो विप्राः करिष्यथ ततः परम् । स्थापयिष्याम्यहं लिंगं देवदेवस्य शूलिनः

Transliteration

śrūyatāṃ madvaco viprāḥ kariṣyatha tataḥ param | sthāpayiṣyāmyahaṃ liṃgaṃ devadevasya śūlinaḥ

Translation

“Dengarlah kata-kataku, wahai para brāhmaṇa; kemudian kamu hendaklah bertindak menurutnya. Aku akan menegakkan sebuah liṅga bagi Śūlin, Tuhan bagi segala dewa.”

Word by Word

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard; listen
• श्रूयताम्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural); आज्ञार्थे—‘let it be heard’

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनार्थे (genitive sense), अव्ययवत् उपसर्गरूपेण (as bound form ‘my’)

• वचः: word(s), speech
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• विप्राः: O Brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन (plural)

• करिष्यथ: you will do
• करिष्यथ: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• परम्: next, further
• परम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयोगः (adverbial use), ‘afterwards/next’

• स्थापयिष्यामि: I will स्थापित/establish
• स्थापयिष्यामि: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular); णिजन्त (causative)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of the god of gods’)

• शूलिनः: of Śūlin (the trident-bearer, Śiva)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular); विशेष्य—शिवस्य उपनाम

Speaker

Indra (deduced from immediate narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayākūpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A leader addresses brāhmaṇas with authoritative gentleness, declaring the intent to establish Śiva’s liṅga; the atmosphere is solemn, with ritual implements hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (Vipras)
• Śiva (Śūlin)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecrating Śiva in a holy region is portrayed as a dharmic act guided by brāhmaṇas and undertaken with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s tīrtha framework points toward the Gayākūpī māhātmya and its surrounding sacred landscape within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installation of a Śiva liṅga) is explicitly announced as the intended sacred act.