Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तस्मात्स्थापय मे लिंगं त्वमत्रैव महीपते । अहं येन करोम्येव तत्र वासं सदाचलः

Transliteration

tasmātsthāpaya me liṃgaṃ tvamatraiva mahīpate | ahaṃ yena karomyeva tatra vāsaṃ sadācalaḥ

Translation

तस्मात्, हे महीपते, मम लिङ्गम् अत्रैव स्थापय। येनैव कर्मणा अहं तत्र सदाचलः स्थिरो नित्यं वासं करिष्यामि।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे/हेतौ (ablatival sense: ‘therefore/from that’)

• स्थापय: install; establish
• स्थापय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त-धातु (causative)

• मे: my; for me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• महीपते: O king (lord of the earth)
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मही-या: पति:)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• येन: by which; whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• करोमि: I do; I make
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• वासम्: dwelling; residence
• वासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• अचलः: immovable; steady
• अचलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of अहम्)

Speaker

Bhagavān (Śiva/Maheśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s command to the king: the Lord indicates the very ground for installation; the king stands with folded hands, attendants holding ritual vessels; the spot is marked for the liṅga’s future seat.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīpati (King)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Acala (unmoving)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consecration (pratiṣṭhā) anchors divine presence, turning geography into sacred geography through dharmic action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The very spot where the king is instructed to establish Śiva’s liṅga, forming the Acaleśvara sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpanā/pratiṣṭhā—formally establishing the liṅga at the site.