Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

गते महेश्वरे देवे यथास्थानं तु ते स्थिताः । स्थापना च कृता सर्वैः स्वनाम्नैव पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

gate maheśvare deve yathāsthānaṃ tu te sthitāḥ | sthāpanā ca kṛtā sarvaiḥ svanāmnaiva pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

ครั้นเมื่อพระมหेशวรเทพเสด็จจากไปแล้ว เขาทั้งหลายก็ดำรงอยู่ ณ ที่ประจำของตน และแต่ละองค์ได้สถาปนาที่ประทับ/ศาสนสถานแยกกัน โดยใช้พระนามของตนเอง

Word by Word

• गते: when (he) had gone / after (he) went
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; Masculine/Neuter agreement with ‘महेश्वरे/देवे’ (when taken as locative absolute/locative phrase)

• महेश्वरे: in Mahā-īśvara (Maheshvara)
• महेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समास: महा + ईश्वर (तत्पुरुष)

• देवे: in the god
• देवे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• यथास्थानम्: according to (their) proper places
• यथास्थानम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय (adverbial)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle (emphasis/contrast)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; सर्वनाम

• स्थिताः: stood/remained
• स्थिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; agrees with ‘ते’

• स्थापना: installation/establishment
• स्थापना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

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

• कृता: was done/made
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used predicatively; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with ‘स्थापना’

• सर्वैः: by all (of them)
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• स्वनाम्ना: by (their) own name
• स्वनाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; समास: स्व + नामन् (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष sense: ‘by one’s own name’)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic particle

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb (reduplication for emphasis)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) addressed in surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After Śiva’s departure, divine attendants/guardians remain at their allotted stations and consecrate separate shrines bearing their own names, turning the terrain into a mapped constellation of liṅgas.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Lokapālas
• Sthāpanā (establishment)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After receiving grace, divine offices are fulfilled through stable dharmic placement, and sacred space is marked through consecrated establishments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It gestures to multiple named establishments connected to Lokapālas within the Revā Khaṇḍa landscape, but does not name a single tīrtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied is sthāpanā—establishing a seat/shrine (a foundational act for later pūjā), though no procedural steps are detailed here.