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

جو شِو کا مندر بناتا ہے وہ دس ملین کلپوں تک سُورگ میں بستا ہے؛ اے نرپ، شِو کے آستانے میں جتنے ذرّات ہیں اتنے ہی برسوں تک۔

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.