Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अभूद्यस्य परिच्छेदे नालमावां बभूविव । चराचरं जगत्सर्वं यतो लीनं सदात्र च

Transliteration

abhūdyasya paricchede nālamāvāṃ babhūviva | carācaraṃ jagatsarvaṃ yato līnaṃ sadātra ca

Translation

Als wir versuchten, Seine Grenze zu finden, waren wir dazu gänzlich außerstande. Aus Ihm und in Ihm ist das ganze Universum—das Bewegte und das Unbewegte—stets wieder aufgenommen und versenkt.

Word by Word

• अभूत्: was; came to be
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/Imperfective past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परिच्छेदे: in the delimitation; in determining the limit
• परिच्छेदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अलम्: sufficient; capable
• अलम्: Modifier (Predicate particle/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: पर्याप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable of sufficiency)

• आवाम्: we two
• आवाम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-द्विवचन-रूपम्; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), द्विवचन

• बभूव: became; was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• इव: as if
• इव: Modifier (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमार्थक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• चराचरम्: moving and unmoving
• चराचरम्: Karma (Object/apposition to जगत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (चरं च अचरं च)

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Modifier (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जगत्-विशेषणम्

• यतः: from which; because of which
• यतः: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: from which/wherefrom)

• लीनम्: merged; dissolved
• लीनम्: Modifier (Predicate/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ली (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जगत्-विशेषणम्

• सदा: always
• सदा: Modifier (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अत्र: here; in this (liṅga)
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Viṣṇu (continuation of the Brahmā–Viṣṇu limit-seeking episode; 'āvām' = we two)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas/Ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā and Viṣṇu attempt to measure the limitless liṅga/pillar; the universe—stars, beings, mountains—appears as if dissolving into the same luminous axis.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (as infinite Liṅga)
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Universe (cara-acara jagat)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is limitless; creation and dissolution occur within the Divine, beyond egoic measurement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is cited; the verse supports the universal doctrine of the infinite Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it reinforces why Liṅga-worship is spiritually central.