Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

लयमायाति यस्माद्धि जगत्सर्वं चराचरम् । तेन लिङ्गमिति प्रोक्तं पुराणज्ञैर्महर्षिभिः

Transliteration

layamāyāti yasmāddhi jagatsarvaṃ carācaram | tena liṅgamiti proktaṃ purāṇajñairmaharṣibhiḥ

Translation

Denn aus Ihm geht wahrlich die ganze Welt — das Bewegliche und das Unbewegliche — in die Auflösung ein; darum haben die großen ṛṣis, Kenner der Purāṇas, Ihn „Liṅga“ genannt.

Word by Word

• लयम्: dissolution, absorption
• लयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थ-उपपद (goal)

• आयाति: goes/comes to, reaches
• आयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यस्मात्: from whom/which
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-प्रदर्शक

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (जगत्)

• चराचरम्: moving and unmoving
• चराचरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (जगत्)

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लिङ्गम्: “liṅga”
• लिङ्गम्: Pratipadya (Quoted term)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (इति-उद्धरणे नाम)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared/called
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (said/declared)

• पुराणज्ञैः: by the knowers of the Purāṇas
• पुराणज्ञैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराणज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक: पुराण + ज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महर्षिभिः: by great sages
• महर्षिभिः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक: महा + ऋषि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narmadā-devī (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) liṅga-sthānas

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lok-eśa addressed in surrounding verses; brāhmaṇa listener in frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: worlds, beings, and elements stream inward like rivers into a luminous liṅga at the center, signifying pralaya; sages label it ‘Liṅga’.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Maharṣis
• Purāṇa-jñas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva as Liṅga is linked to ultimate dissolution (laya), teaching that all existence culminates in the Supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal within the Revākhaṇḍa setting, supporting the sanctity of the local Liṅga-tīrtha on the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it provides the theological basis for Liṅga worship.