Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्क्षेत्रे महालिंगं गौतमेश्वरसंज्ञितम् । स्थापयामास भगवानहल्यासरसस्तटे

Transliteration

asminkṣetre mahāliṃgaṃ gautameśvarasaṃjñitam | sthāpayāmāsa bhagavānahalyāsarasastaṭe

Translation

ในเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์นี้ ภควานได้สถาปนามหาลิงคะนามว่า ‘โคตเมศวร’ ณ ริมสระของอหัลยา

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• महालिङ्गम्: a great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्)

• गौतमेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Gautameśvara’
• गौतमेश्वरसंज्ञितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गौतम + ईश्वर + संज्ञित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं 'महालिङ्गम्'; कृदन्तः (संज्ञि + क्त) 'named'; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गौतमेश्वर इति संज्ञा यस्य)

• स्थापयामास: installed
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative) = 'caused to be placed/installed'

• भगवान्: the venerable one (sage)
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• अहल्यासरसः: of Ahalyā’s lake
• अहल्यासरसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहल्या + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अहल्यायाः सरः)

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ahalyā-saras (with Gautameśvara on its bank)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna (Phālguna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gautama consecrates a towering Mahāliṅga named Gautameśvara on the shore of Ahalyā’s lake; priests/ṛṣis witness, offerings and lamps surround the liṅga, with the lake shimmering behind.

Characters & Entities

• Gautameśvara
• Śiva (liṅga)
• Ahalyāsaras
• Gautama Ṛṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are sanctified further through liṅga-pratiṣṭhā, linking geography, devotion, and lasting dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ahalyāsaras (Ahalyā’s lake) and its bank, where the Gautameśvara liṅga is installed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sthāpana/pratiṣṭhā of a mahāliṅga—here named Gautameśvara—at the sacred lakeside.