Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

शंकुकर्णे महातेजं गोकर्णे च महाबलम् । रुद्रकोट्यां महायोगं महालिंगं स्थलेश्वरे

Transliteration

śaṃkukarṇe mahātejaṃ gokarṇe ca mahābalam | rudrakoṭyāṃ mahāyogaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ sthaleśvare

Translation

ณ ศังกุกัรณะ เราเป็นมหาเตชัส; ณ โคกรณะ เป็นมหาพละ; ณ รุทรโกฏี เป็นมหาโยคะ; และ ณ สถเลศวร เป็นมหาลิงคะ

Word by Word

• शंकुकर्णे: at Śaṅkukarṇa (tīrtha/place)
• शंकुकर्णे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकुकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शंकुः + कर्णः)

• महातेजम्: great splendor (as a form/name)
• महातेजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महत् + तेजस्)

• गोकर्णे: at Gokarṇa
• गोकर्णे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोः + कर्णः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महाबलम्: great strength (as a form/name)
• महाबलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महत् + बल)

• रुद्रकोट्याम्: at Rudrakoṭi
• रुद्रकोट्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्रकोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य + कोटिः)

• महायोगम्: great yoga / great yogin-form (name)
• महायोगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महायोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महा + योग)

• महालिंगम्: the great liṅga (name/form)
• महालिंगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महालिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महा + लिङ्ग)

• स्थलेश्वरे: at Sthaleśvara
• स्थलेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थलेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्थलस्य + ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṃkukarṇa / Gokarṇa / Rudrakoṭī / Sthaleśvara (clustered listing)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (implied across the passage style; explicit in v.109.10)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-map tableau: four liṅgas in distinct landscapes—coastal shrine (Gokarṇa), forested hermitage (Rudrakoṭī), village-temple (Sthaleśvara), and a sacred grove/earthen mound (Śaṃkukarṇa)—with Śiva’s aura shifting as Mahātejas/Mahābala/Mahāyoga/Mahāliṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṃkukarṇa
• Gokarṇa
• Rudrakoṭī
• Sthaleśvara
• Mahātejas
• Mahābala
• Mahāyoga
• Mahāliṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Each tīrtha embodies a distinctive aspect of Śiva—splendor, strength, yoga, and liṅga-presence—inviting devotion shaped by place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokarṇa is prominently included, along with Śaṃkukarṇa, Rudrakoṭī, and Sthaleśvara, each tied to a specific Śiva-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: worship/recitation using the local Śiva-name—especially liṅga-veneration at Sthaleśvara as Mahāliṅga.