Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

भगलिङ्गाङ्कितं सर्वं व्याप्तं वै परमेष्ठिना । भगरूपो भवेद्विष्णुर्लिङ्गरूपो महेश्वरः

Transliteration

bhagaliṅgāṅkitaṃ sarvaṃ vyāptaṃ vai parameṣṭhinā | bhagarūpo bhavedviṣṇurliṅgarūpo maheśvaraḥ

Translation

All dies ist vom Höchsten (Parameṣṭhin) durchdrungen, gezeichnet von «Bhaga» und «Liṅga». Viṣṇu ist von der Gestalt «Bhaga», und Maheśvara ist von der Gestalt «Liṅga».

Word by Word

• bhagaliṅgāṅkitam: marked with bhaga and liṅga
• bhagaliṅgāṅkitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaga (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅkita (कृदन्त, क्त; aṅk धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle used adjectivally, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• vyāptam: pervaded
• vyāptam: Kriyā (Predicative/व्याप्तिवाचक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + āp (धातु) → vyāpta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

• vai: indeed
• vai: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थ-अव्यय — emphatic particle

• parameṣṭhinā: by the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• parameṣṭhinā: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parameṣṭhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• bhagarūpaḥ: having the form of bhaga
• bhagarūpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaga (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• bhavet: would be, becomes
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/विधान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Singular

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• liṅgarūpaḥ: having the form of liṅga
• liṅgarūpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• maheśvaraḥ: Mahēśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from immediate continuation where Mahādeva addresses Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic field pervaded by Parameṣṭhin: on one side Viṣṇu radiates ‘Bhaga’—auspicious splendor with conch-disc; on the other a luminous Śiva-liṅga radiates as the ‘Liṅga’ sign. Both streams merge into one all-pervading light.

Characters & Entities

• Parameṣṭhin
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara
• Liṅga
• Bhaga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa presents a harmonizing vision: the one Supreme pervades all, expressed as Viṣṇu (Bhaga) and Śiva (Liṅga).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The doctrinal teaching is embedded in Revā-kṣetra narration; it supports the sanctity of Liṅga worship across Narmadā tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly affirms Liṅga-upāsanā (Śiva worship) and reverence for Viṣṇu as complementary; no step-by-step rite is stated.