Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । एवं दृष्ट्वा क्षितौ तानि लिंगानि हरसूनुना । हरिब्रह्मेंद्रप्रमुखा देवाः प्रोचुः परस्परम्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | evaṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣitau tāni liṃgāni harasūnunā | haribrahmeṃdrapramukhā devāḥ procuḥ parasparam

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ପୃଥିବୀରେ ହରଙ୍କ ପୁତ୍ର ଦ୍ୱାରା ସ୍ଥାପିତ ସେହି ଲିଙ୍ଗଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ଦେଖି ହରି, ବ୍ରହ୍ମା, ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର ପ୍ରମୁଖ ଦେବମାନେ ପରସ୍ପରେ କଥା କହିଲେ।

Word by Word

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (Manner adverb)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), 'having seen'

• kṣitau: on the earth
• kṣitau: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• tāni: those
• tāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• liṅgāni: liṅgas
• liṅgāni: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• hara-sūnunā: by Hara's son (Skanda)
• hara-sūnunā: Karaṇa (Instrument/agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक) + sūnu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'harasya sūnuḥ'

• hari-brahma-indra-pramukhāḥ: with Hari, Brahmā, Indra as leaders
• hari-brahma-indra-pramukhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of devāḥ/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक) + pramukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष: 'hari-brahma-indra-ādayaḥ pramukhāḥ' (having Hari, Brahmā, Indra as foremost)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• procuḥ: said, spoke
• procuḥ: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• parasparam: to one another
• parasparam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Reciprocity/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: परस्पर-अव्यय (Reciprocal adverb)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) the primary interlocutor(s) in the surrounding chapter; within the scene, the devas are conversing

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada narrates while a grand assembly of gods—Viṣṇu (Hari), Brahmā, Indra—stand before multiple liṅgas on earth, conversing in wonder and reverence; Skanda’s unseen agency is felt through the newly established shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Skanda (Hara-sūnu)
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā
• Indra
• Devas
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts performed by the divine (and emulated by devotees) become exemplars even for the gods, shaping tīrtha tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The earth-site where Skanda established multiple liṅgas—continuing the Mahī–Sāgara saṅgama/Staṃbheśvara māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it introduces the narrative frame where the devas respond to liṅga installations.