Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कूपिकायां महाभाग शिवलिंगस्य पूर्वतः । ततः प्रोवाच तान्हृष्टः संपूज्य द्विजसत्तमान्

Transliteration

kūpikāyāṃ mahābhāga śivaliṃgasya pūrvataḥ | tataḥ provāca tānhṛṣṭaḥ saṃpūjya dvijasattamān

Translation

اے بزرگ! شِو لِنگ کے مشرق میں ایک چھوٹے کنویں (کوپِکا) کے پاس؛ پھر وہ خوش ہو کر، برہمنوں میں افضل لوگوں کی باقاعدہ پوجا کر کے اُن سے مخاطب ہوا۔

Word by Word

• kūpikāyām: in the well/at the small well
• kūpikāyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūpikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• mahābhāga: O fortunate one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahābhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; Vocative singular (address)

• śiva-liṅgasya: of the Śiva-liṅga
• śiva-liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• pūrvataḥ: in front of, to the east of
• pūrvataḥ: Desha/Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (पूर्वदिशि/अग्रे); indeclinable directional adverb

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः—क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon/then)

• provāca: said, spoke forth
• provāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• hṛṣṭaḥ: delighted
• hṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) from √hṛṣ ‘to rejoice’

• saṃpūjya: having duly worshipped
• saṃpūjya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-√pūj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); having worshipped

• dvija-sattamān: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvija-sattamān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; Accusative plural

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūpikā-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Best of brāhmaṇas (dvija-sattamāḥ) addressed by the speaker

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small stone-lined well beside a Śiva-liṅga shrine; the well lies to the east. A venerable figure respectfully honors a group of brāhmaṇas with water, flowers, and cloth, then addresses them with joy.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Dvija-sattamāḥ (excellent brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic practice honors sacred space and sacred persons: proper reverence to brāhmaṇas and precise temple geography frame tīrtha-acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha featuring a kūpikā (sacred well) situated east of a Śiva-liṅga within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Before delivering instruction, one should properly honor (saṃpūjya) the brāhmaṇas; the verse also notes the ritual topography (kūpikā east of the liṅga).