Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

हर्षिते च तथा हर्षं वृषभं वृषभध्वजे । केदारे चैव ईशानं शर्वं मध्यमकेश्वरे

Transliteration

harṣite ca tathā harṣaṃ vṛṣabhaṃ vṛṣabhadhvaje | kedāre caiva īśānaṃ śarvaṃ madhyamakeśvare

Translation

ହର୍ଷିତରେ ସେ ‘ହର୍ଷ’ ନାମେ ପରିଚିତ; ବୃଷଭଧ୍ୱଜରେ ‘ବୃଷଭ’ ରୂପେ ପୂଜିତ। କେଦାରରେ ‘ଈଶାନ’ ଏବଂ ମଧ୍ୟମକେଶ୍ୱରରେ ‘ଶର୍ବ’ ନାମେ ବନ୍ଦିତ।

Word by Word

• हर्षिते: at Harṣita
• हर्षिते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्षित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम (tīrtha-name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (adverb: likewise/also)

• हर्षम्: joy (name/form)
• हर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वृषभम्: the bull (name/form)
• वृषभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वृषभध्वजे: at Vṛṣabhadhvaja
• वृषभध्वजे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वृषभः + ध्वजः)

• केदारे: at Kedāra
• केदारे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (a name of Śiva)
• ईशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शर्वम्: Śarva (a name of Śiva)
• शर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मध्यमकेश्वरे: at Madhyamakeśvara
• मध्यमकेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यमकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मध्यमकस्य + ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harṣita / Vṛṣabhadhvaja / Kedāra / Madhyamakeśvara (clustered listing)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-stop pilgrimage: a festive shrine at Harṣita with smiling devotees; a temple with Nandin and bull-banner at Vṛṣabhadhvaja; snowy Himalayan Kedāra with austere Īśāna-liṅga; and a midland forest-temple for Madhyamakeśvara where Śarva is invoked amid cremation-ground symbolism (subtle).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Harṣita
• Vṛṣabhadhvaja
• Kedāra
• Madhyamakeśvara
• Harṣa
• Vṛṣabha
• Īśāna
• Śarva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is one, yet compassionately worshipped through many names tied to many holy places; sacred geography becomes a living map of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Harṣita, Vṛṣabhadhvaja, Kedāra, and Madhyamakeśvara—each presenting Śiva through a distinctive epithet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse functions as a stotra-like identification of Śiva’s names at particular tīrthas.