Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पंचायतनविन्यासमनोहरतरं नृप । विनायकशिवासूर्यमधुसूदनमूर्तिमत्

Transliteration

paṃcāyatanavinyāsamanoharataraṃ nṛpa | vināyakaśivāsūryamadhusūdanamūrtimat

Translation

ਹੇ ਨ੍ਰਿਪ, ਉਹ ਪੰਚਾਯਤਨ ਦੇ ਮਨੋਹਰ ਵਿਨਿਆਸ ਨਾਲ ਹੋਰ ਵੀ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਸੀ—ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਨਾਇਕ, ਸ਼ਿਵ, ਸੂਰਯ ਅਤੇ ਮਧੁਸੂਦਨ (ਵਿਸ਼ਣੁ) ਦੀਆਂ ਮੂਰਤੀਆਂ ਸਥਾਪਿਤ ਸਨ।

Word by Word

• पञ्चायतनविन्यासमनोहरतरम्: more charming due to the arrangement of five shrines
• पञ्चायतनविन्यासमनोहरतरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + आयतन + विन्यास + मनोहर + तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (पञ्चायतनस्य विन्यासः तेन मनोहरतरम्)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विनायकशिवासूर्यमधुसूदनमूर्तिमत्: having images/forms of Vināyaka, Śiva, Sūrya, and Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)
• विनायकशिवासूर्यमधुसूदनमूर्तिमत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनायक + शिव + सूर्य + मधुसूदन + मूर्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विनायक-शिव-सूर्य-मधुसूदन-रूपैः युक्तम्)

Speaker

Kūrma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A charming miniature shrine laid out in pañcāyatana style, with icons/forms of Vināyaka, Śiva, Sūrya, and Madhusūdana arranged in a balanced sacred geometry.

Characters & Entities

• Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Śiva
• Sūrya
• Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Harmonious reverence to multiple divine forms within dharma supports devotion while keeping Śiva central in the shrine narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha; the verse highlights a temple-layout tradition (pañcāyatana) rather than a geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Establishing a pañcāyatana arrangement with installed mūrtis/images is implied as a devotional practice.