Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कूपिकायां महाभाग शिवलिंगस्य पूर्वतः । ततः प्रोवाच तान्हृष्टः संपूज्य द्विजसत्तमान्

Transliteration

kūpikāyāṃ mahābhāga śivaliṃgasya pūrvataḥ | tataḥ provāca tānhṛṣṭaḥ saṃpūjya dvijasattamān

Translation

कूपिकायां महाभाग शिवलिङ्गस्य पूर्वतः स्थित्वा ततः हृष्टः सन् द्विजसत्तमान् सम्यक् संपूज्य तान् प्रति प्रोवाच।

Word by Word

• kūpikāyām: in the well/at the small well
• kūpikāyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūpikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• mahābhāga: O fortunate one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahābhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; Vocative singular (address)

• śiva-liṅgasya: of the Śiva-liṅga
• śiva-liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• pūrvataḥ: in front of, to the east of
• pūrvataḥ: Desha/Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (पूर्वदिशि/अग्रे); indeclinable directional adverb

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः—क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon/then)

• provāca: said, spoke forth
• provāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• hṛṣṭaḥ: delighted
• hṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) from √hṛṣ ‘to rejoice’

• saṃpūjya: having duly worshipped
• saṃpūjya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-√pūj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); having worshipped

• dvija-sattamān: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvija-sattamān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; Accusative plural

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūpikā-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Best of brāhmaṇas (dvija-sattamāḥ) addressed by the speaker

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small stone-lined well beside a Śiva-liṅga shrine; the well lies to the east. A venerable figure respectfully honors a group of brāhmaṇas with water, flowers, and cloth, then addresses them with joy.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Dvija-sattamāḥ (excellent brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic practice honors sacred space and sacred persons: proper reverence to brāhmaṇas and precise temple geography frame tīrtha-acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha featuring a kūpikā (sacred well) situated east of a Śiva-liṅga within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Before delivering instruction, one should properly honor (saṃpūjya) the brāhmaṇas; the verse also notes the ritual topography (kūpikā east of the liṅga).