Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्य स्तंभाग्रतसतं च संस्थापय शिवात्मज । एवमुक्ते सुरैः स्कन्दस्ततेत्याह महामनाः

Transliteration

tasya staṃbhāgratasataṃ ca saṃsthāpaya śivātmaja | evamukte suraiḥ skandastatetyāha mahāmanāḥ

Translation

हे शिवात्मज, तस्य स्तम्भस्य अग्रे शतं चिह्नानि संस्थापय। इति सुरैः प्रोक्ते महात्मा स्कन्दः “तथेति” प्रत्युवाच।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual)

• स्तंभ: pillar
• स्तंभ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• अग्र: at the front/top
• अग्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• तसतं: (unclear/rare) set/placed? (as read)
• तसतं: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तसत (प्रातिपदिक; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); विशेषण (qualifier)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संस्थापय: establish/place
• संस्थापय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + सम्-उपसर्ग; causative (णिच्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शिवात्मज: O son of Śiva
• शिवात्मज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/Address), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य आत्मजः)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• उक्ते: when (it was) said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त/PPP)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Vakya-karmaka (Quoted content/उद्धृतवाक्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इति-पूर्वक-प्रत्युत्तर-निपात (particle used with iti)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakya-karmaka (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/आह् (धातु; √अह् ‘to say’)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महामनाः: great-minded
• महामनाः: Karta-vishesana (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महान् + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); बहुव्रीहिः (महान् मनः यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating dialogue) to the sages (deduced)

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Skanda
• Suras (gods)
• Stambha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Skanda’s readiness to uphold sacred order shows that divine power is expressed through establishing dharmic institutions for the world’s welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual layout before the victory-pillar forms part of the Stambheśvara sacred precinct being sanctified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The installation (saṃsthāpana) of a prescribed number of sacred markers/emblems before the pillar.