Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

स्थापितः शङ्करस्तत्र नर्मदायां युधिष्ठिर । ततो नागेश्वरं लिङ्गं प्रसिद्धं पापनाशनम्

Transliteration

sthāpitaḥ śaṅkarastatra narmadāyāṃ yudhiṣṭhira | tato nāgeśvaraṃ liṅgaṃ prasiddhaṃ pāpanāśanam

Translation

ஹே யுதிஷ்டிரா! அங்கே நர்மதையில் சங்கரன் நிறுவப்பட்டான். அதிலிருந்து பாவநாசகமாகப் புகழ்பெற்ற ‘நாகேஸ்வர’ லிங்கம் தோன்றியது.

Word by Word

• स्थापितः: was established
• स्थापितः: Karta (Subject as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्ययपूर्वक धातोः क्त (causative PPP: 'having been established')

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• नर्मदायाम्: in/on the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (then/from there)

• नागेश्वरम्: Nāgeśvara (Lord of serpents)
• नागेश्वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाग + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नागानाम् ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• प्रसिद्धम्: well-known
• प्रसिद्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसिद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; प्र-सीध्/सिध् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• पापनाशनम्: destroyer of sin
• पापनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पापस्य नाशनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgeśvara (Revā/Narmadā-tīra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the Narmadā’s bank stands the newly established Nāgeśvara Liṅga; pilgrims and nāgas gather, the river flowing beside, Śiva’s presence felt as a radiant aura.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Nāgeśvara Liṅga
• Narmadā
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence at a tīrtha manifests as a liṅga, making the place a direct means for pāpa-kṣaya (destruction of sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgeśvara Liṅga situated on/near the Narmadā, praised as a powerful sin-destroying shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This verse introduces the shrine; ritual prescriptions follow in subsequent verses (e.g., bathing/abhiṣeka).