Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

कृत्तिवासं तथैकाम्रे छागलेये कपर्दिनम् । कालिञ्जरे नीलकण्ठं श्रीकण्ठं मण्डलेश्वरे

Transliteration

kṛttivāsaṃ tathaikāmre chāgaleye kapardinam | kāliñjare nīlakaṇṭhaṃ śrīkaṇṭhaṃ maṇḍaleśvare

Translation

ایکامر میں وہ کِرتّیواس (چمڑے کا لباس پہننے والا) کے نام سے مشہور ہے؛ چھاگلیہ میں کَپَردِن (جٹادھاری) ہے۔ کالِنجر میں نیلکنٹھ؛ اور منڈلیشور میں شری کنٹھ کے روپ میں سراہا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• कृत्तिवासम्: Kṛttivāsa (wearer of skin; name/form)
• कृत्तिवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कृत्तिः + वासः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे (adverb: likewise)

• एकाम्रे: at Ekāmra
• एकाम्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकाम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (एकः + आम्रः)

• छागलेये: at Chāgaleya
• छागलेये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छागलेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• कपर्दिनम्: Kapardin (with matted hair; name/form)
• कपर्दिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपर्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कालिञ्जरे: at Kāliñjara
• कालिञ्जरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिञ्जर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• नीलकण्ठम्: Nīlakaṇṭha (blue-throated; name/form)
• नीलकण्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीलकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (नीलः + कण्ठः)

• श्रीकण्ठम्: Śrīkaṇṭha (auspicious-throated; name/form)
• श्रीकण्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (श्रीः + कण्ठः)

• मण्डलेश्वरे: at Maṇḍaleśvara
• मण्डलेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डलेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मण्डलस्य + ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ekāmra / Chāgaleya / Kāliñjara / Maṇḍaleśvara (clustered listing)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-shrine panorama: Ekāmra’s sacred grove with a skin-clad ascetic Śiva presence (Kṛttivāsa); Chāgaleya with Kapardin—matted locks, crescent moon; Kāliñjara with Nīlakaṇṭha—blue throat, ocean-churning symbolism in the background; Maṇḍaleśvara with Śrīkaṇṭha—radiant, auspicious, richly adorned liṅga in a mandala-like sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Ekāmra
• Chāgaleya
• Kāliñjara
• Maṇḍaleśvara
• Kṛttivāsa
• Kapardin
• Nīlakaṇṭha
• Śrīkaṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s cosmic deeds and yogic form are remembered through place-based names—each tīrtha preserves a facet of his compassion and power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ekāmra, Chāgaleya, Kāliñjara, and Maṇḍaleśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it is a māhātmya-style mapping of epithets for worship and pilgrimage remembrance.