Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शास्त्रोक्तेन विधानेन पूजां चक्रे च नित्यशः । ततस्त्रैलोक्य विख्यातं तल्लिंगं तत्र वै द्विजाः

Transliteration

śāstroktena vidhānena pūjāṃ cakre ca nityaśaḥ | tatastrailokya vikhyātaṃ talliṃgaṃ tatra vai dvijāḥ

Translation

اس نے شاستروں کے بتائے ہوئے طریقے کے مطابق روزانہ پوجا کی۔ پھر اے دِوِجوں! وہی لِنگ تینوں لوکوں میں مشہور ہو گیا۔

Word by Word

• शास्त्रोक्तेन: as stated in the scriptures
• शास्त्रोक्तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र + उक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘शास्त्रे उक्त’ = prescribed in scripture; विशेषण (विधानेन)

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चक्रे: performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

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

• नित्यशः: daily, always
• नित्यशः: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘always/daily’

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/अनन्तरार्थ (from that/thereafter)

• त्रैलोक्य: of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास ‘three worlds’

• विख्यातम्: renowned
• विख्यातम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘renowned’; विशेषण (तत्-लिङ्गम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संकेत/अन्वय (that)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Nāgara Khaṇḍa–Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn each day, Citraśarman and priests perform śāstroktapūjā—abhisheka, bilva offerings, incense, lamps—before the golden liṅga; the shrine’s aura expands as pilgrims gather.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śāstra-guided daily worship (nitya-pūjā) generates enduring spiritual merit and causes a sacred emblem of Śiva to become widely revered.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises a local tīrtha-liṅga within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the exact place-name is established by the surrounding verses of Adhyāya 107.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily worship performed strictly by śāstric procedure (śāstrokta-vidhi).