Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कल्पकोटिं वसेत्स्वर्गेयः करोति शिवालयम् । यावंति परमाणूनि शिवस्यायतने नृप

Transliteration

kalpakoṭiṃ vasetsvargeyaḥ karoti śivālayam | yāvaṃti paramāṇūni śivasyāyatane nṛpa

Translation

சிவாலயம் கட்டுபவன் பத்து கோடி கல்பங்கள் வரை ஸ்வர்கத்தில் வாசிப்பான்; ஓ அரசே, சிவன் ஆலயத்தில் உள்ள அணுக்கள் எத்தனைவோ, அத்தனை ஆண்டுகள்.

Word by Word

• kalpakoṭim: a crore of kalpas
• kalpakoṭim: Karma (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध-तत्पुरुषः: कल्पानां कोटिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• vaset: would dwell
• vaset: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• svarge: in heaven
• svarge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• karoti: makes, builds
• karoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• śivālayam: a shrine/abode of Śiva
• śivālayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: शिवस्य आलयः); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• yāvanti: as many as
• yāvanti: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāvat (सर्वनाम/परिमाण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-विशेषणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• paramāṇūni: atoms, particles
• paramāṇūni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paramāṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः; अत्र नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• śivasya: of Śiva
• śivasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• āyatane: in the sanctuary/abode
• āyatane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating a merit statement (contextual deduction within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivālaya (general)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary depiction of a Śiva temple as a cosmos: the sanctum filled with shimmering ‘atoms’ like stars, while the donor ascends to svarga for kalpa upon kalpa.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivālaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Constructing a Śiva-temple is portrayed as an exceptionally meritorious dharmic act with vast spiritual reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies any Śiva-āyatana (Śiva sanctuary/temple) rather than a single named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is temple-building (śivālaya-karaṇa) as a form of dharma and religious endowment.