Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

हर्षिते च तथा हर्षं वृषभं वृषभध्वजे । केदारे चैव ईशानं शर्वं मध्यमकेश्वरे

Transliteration

harṣite ca tathā harṣaṃ vṛṣabhaṃ vṛṣabhadhvaje | kedāre caiva īśānaṃ śarvaṃ madhyamakeśvare

Translation

حَرشِت میں وہ حَرش (خوشی عطا کرنے والا) کہلاتا ہے؛ وِرشَبھَدھوج میں وِرشَبھ، یعنی بیل کے نشان والا رب۔ کیدار میں ایشان؛ اور مدھیَمکیشور میں شَرو کے نام سے پوجا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• हर्षिते: at Harṣita
• हर्षिते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्षित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम (tīrtha-name)

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

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

• हर्षम्: joy (name/form)
• हर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वृषभम्: the bull (name/form)
• वृषभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वृषभध्वजे: at Vṛṣabhadhvaja
• वृषभध्वजे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वृषभः + ध्वजः)

• केदारे: at Kedāra
• केदारे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (a name of Śiva)
• ईशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शर्वम्: Śarva (a name of Śiva)
• शर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मध्यमकेश्वरे: at Madhyamakeśvara
• मध्यमकेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यमकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मध्यमकस्य + ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harṣita / Vṛṣabhadhvaja / Kedāra / Madhyamakeśvara (clustered listing)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-stop pilgrimage: a festive shrine at Harṣita with smiling devotees; a temple with Nandin and bull-banner at Vṛṣabhadhvaja; snowy Himalayan Kedāra with austere Īśāna-liṅga; and a midland forest-temple for Madhyamakeśvara where Śarva is invoked amid cremation-ground symbolism (subtle).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Harṣita
• Vṛṣabhadhvaja
• Kedāra
• Madhyamakeśvara
• Harṣa
• Vṛṣabha
• Īśāna
• Śarva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is one, yet compassionately worshipped through many names tied to many holy places; sacred geography becomes a living map of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Harṣita, Vṛṣabhadhvaja, Kedāra, and Madhyamakeśvara—each presenting Śiva through a distinctive epithet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse functions as a stotra-like identification of Śiva’s names at particular tīrthas.