Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं स्थापितं तेन भूभुजा । तथा तद्धृतराष्ट्रेण लिंगं पातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātaṃ sthāpitaṃ tena bhūbhujā | tathā taddhṛtarāṣṭreṇa liṃgaṃ pātakanāśanam

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ—ସେ ରାଜା କିପରି ଏହା ସ୍ଥାପନ କଲେ, ସେ ସମସ୍ତ କଥା ତୁମମାନଙ୍କୁ କହିଦେଲି; ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ର ଦ୍ୱାରା ସ୍ଥାପିତ ପାପନାଶକ ଲିଙ୍ଗ ବିଷୟରେ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: वच् (to speak)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; here object of speech

• वः: to you / of you
• वः: Sampradana (Addressee)/Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; enclitic pronoun

• सर्वम्: all, entirely
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (एतत्)

• आख्यातम्: has been narrated
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicative; passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) used predicatively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; धातु: ख्या (to tell) with उपसर्ग आ

• स्थापितम्: was established
• स्थापितम्: Kriya (Predicative; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) (णिच् causative: स्थापयति)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) used predicatively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; causative sense ‘caused to be established’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• भूभुजा: by the king
• भूभुजा: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भू-भुज् = भूमेः भुजः = राजा)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Samuccaya/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), समुच्चय/अनुरूपताबोधक

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गम्)

• धृतराष्ट्रेण: by Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रेण: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• पातकनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पातकनाशनम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पातकस्य नाशनम्) विशेषण (लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhṛtarāṣṭra-sthāpita Liṅga (name not specified in given verses)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya-style audience implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta addressing sages in a forest hermitage, narrating the establishment of a liṅga by a king and a famed liṅga set by Dhṛtarāṣṭra; cutaway shows a Śiva temple with the liṅga radiating sanctity, pilgrims offering flowers and water.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Śiva-liṅga
• King (bhūbhuj)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-liṅga worship and consecration in a holy kṣetra are proclaimed as powerful means for the destruction of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, where the pātaka-nāśana liṅga associated with Dhṛtarāṣṭra is remembered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights liṅga-sthāpana (establishment) and implies its worship as a sin-destroying practice.