Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

महीनगरके लिंगं पातालात्सुमनोहरम् । तुष्टाव देवं प्रयतः स्तुतिं तां शृणु पांडव

Transliteration

mahīnagarake liṃgaṃ pātālātsumanoharam | tuṣṭāva devaṃ prayataḥ stutiṃ tāṃ śṛṇu pāṃḍava

Translation

مہی نگر میں پاتال سے اُبھرا ہوا نہایت دلکش لِنگ ہے۔ پھر اس نے یکسو بھکتی کے ساتھ دیو کی ستوتی کی۔ اے پانڈو! وہ حمد سنو۔

Word by Word

• mahī-nagarake: in the city on earth / earthly city
• mahī-nagarake: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + nagaraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mahīyāḥ nagarake) अधिकरण

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• pātālāt: from Pātāla (netherworld)
• pātālāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान

• su-manoharam: very charming
• su-manoharam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + manohara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (su + manoharam) विशेषण (liṅgam)

• tuṣṭāva: praised
• tuṣṭāva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √stu (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• devam: the god (Lord)
• devam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• prayataḥ: devout, disciplined
• prayataḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prayata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्ता-विशेषण)

• stutim: praise, hymn
• stutim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stuti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (śṛṇu इत्यस्य)

• tām: that
• tām: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (stutim)

• śṛṇu: hear
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pāṇḍava: O Pāṇḍava
• pāṇḍava: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇḍava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages; address within verse to a Pāṇḍava indicates the narration is being relayed to a Mahābhārata-era listener in the embedded story

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-nagara liṅga (Pātāla-udbhava)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant liṅga emerging from a fissure or sanctified pit symbolizing Pātāla, within a city-temple of Mahī-nagara; a devotee (speaker) stands with folded hands beginning a hymn; a Pāṇḍava listener is invoked to hear.

Characters & Entities

• Mahī-nagara
• Liṅga
• Pātāla
• Pāṇḍava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred site is authenticated by divine manifestation; the proper response is focused stuti (praise) and attentive listening to dharma-teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahī-nagara and its remarkable liṅga said to have emerged from Pātāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stuti (recitation/praise) is introduced; the actual hymn begins in the next verses.