Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । उमामहेश्वरौ तत्र स्थापितौ तेन भूभुजा । प्रासादं परमं कृत्वा साधुदृष्टिसुखप्रदम्

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | umāmaheśvarau tatra sthāpitau tena bhūbhujā | prāsādaṃ paramaṃ kṛtvā sādhudṛṣṭisukhapradam

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า: ณ ที่นั้น พระราชาได้อัญเชิญและประดิษฐานพระอุมาและพระมหेशวรไว้; แล้วทรงสร้างปราสาทศักดิ์สิทธิ์อันเลิศยิ่ง งดงามสูงสุด—เพียงได้เห็นก็ยังบันดาลสุขแก่เหล่าสาธุชน—และสถาปนาศาสนสถานนั้น

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उमा-महेश्वरौ: Umā and Maheśvara
• उमा-महेश्वरौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• स्थापितौ: were installed/established
• स्थापितौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्थापय + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त) ‘स्थापित’; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण (उमा-महेश्वरौ)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं; तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भूभुजा: by the king
• भूभुजा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूमेः भुजः = ‘earth-holder’); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन

• प्रासादम्: a palace/temple-building
• प्रासादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme; excellent
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रासादम्)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• साधु-दृष्टि-सुख-प्रदम्: giving joy to the sight of the good
• साधु-दृष्टि-सुख-प्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक) + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (साधूनां दृष्टेः सुखं ददाति इति); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रासादम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Umā-Maheśvara Prāsāda (as described)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: a king establishes Umā and Maheśvara and builds a magnificent prāsāda that delights the sight of the virtuous.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Umā
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• a king (bhūbhuj)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing and honoring a Śiva–Śakti shrine is portrayed as a dhārmic act that radiates auspiciousness and uplifts devotees through darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha locale where Umā-Maheśvara are installed; the immediate verses continue by describing the temple-front kuṇḍa and nearby tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific vrata is prescribed here; the emphasis is on pratimā-pratiṣṭhā (installation) and the merit of creating a sacred temple space.