Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तत्र च मंकणाख्यं तु लिंगमस्ति सुशोभनम् । तथा सिद्धेश्वरं नाम गौतमेश्वरसंयुतम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tatra ca maṃkaṇākhyaṃ tu liṃgamasti suśobhanam | tathā siddheśvaraṃ nāma gautameśvarasaṃyutam

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ—ସେଠାରେ ‘ମଙ୍କଣ’ ନାମକ ଅତି ଶୋଭନ ଲିଙ୍ଗ ଅଛି। ଏବଂ ‘ସିଦ୍ଧେଶ୍ୱର’ ନାମକ ଲିଙ୍ଗ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଛି, ଯାହା ‘ଗୌତମେଶ୍ୱର’ ସହ ସଂଯୁକ୍ତ।

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्सभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• maṃkaṇākhyam: called Maṃkaṇa
• maṃkaṇākhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maṃkaṇa-ākhya (प्रातिपदिक; मंकण + आख्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; liṅgam इति विशेषण (named Maṃkaṇa)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोध (particle: indeed/but)

• liṅgam: a liṅga
• liṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• suśobhanam: very beautiful
• suśobhanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-śobhana (प्रातिपदिक; सु + शोभन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; liṅgam इति विशेषण

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रम (also; likewise)

• siddheśvaram: (the liṅga) Siddheśvara
• siddheśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddha-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; सिद्ध + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; नाम-विशेष (proper name)

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निर्देश (naming particle)

• gautameśvarasaṃyutam: associated with Gautameśvara
• gautameśvarasaṃyutam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gautama-īśvara-saṃyuta (प्रातिपदिक; गौतमेश्वर + संयुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; siddheśvaram इति विशेषण (associated with Gautameśvara)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṃkaṇa-liṅga; Siddheśvara (Gautameśvara-saṃyuta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta points out two shrines: one radiant, ‘suśobhana’ Maṃkaṇa-liṅga; another labeled Siddheśvara with a subtle presence of ṛṣi Gautama (or a symbolic water-pot/jaṭā) indicating association.

Characters & Entities

• Maṃkaṇa (Liṅga/Śiva)
• Siddheśvara (Liṅga/Śiva)
• Gautameśvara (Liṅga/Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It establishes the sanctity of a tīrtha by naming its revered Śiva-liṅgas, indicating that the place is spiritually charged through these forms of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, marked especially by the Maṃkaṇa (Maṃkaṇeśvara) Liṅga and allied Liṅgas such as Siddheśvara and Gautameśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed in this verse; it primarily identifies the sacred Liṅgas that define the site’s māhātmya.