Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

पश्चात्प्रदोषवेलायां स्थावरं लिंगमर्च्चयेत् । स्वयंभु स्थापितं चापि पौरुषेयमपौरुषम्

Transliteration

paścātpradoṣavelāyāṃ sthāvaraṃ liṃgamarccayet | svayaṃbhu sthāpitaṃ cāpi pauruṣeyamapauruṣam

Translation

Danach, zur Zeit von Pradoṣa, soll man einen festen, unbeweglichen Liṅga verehren—sei er svayambhū (selbstmanifest), eingesetzt, menschlichen Ursprungs oder nichtmenschlichen Ursprungs.

Word by Word

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• प्रदोष-वेलायाम्: at the time of twilight (pradoṣa)
• प्रदोष-वेलायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदोष (प्रातिपदिक) + वेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• स्थावरम्: immovable, fixed
• स्थावरम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• अर्च्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्च्चयेत्: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• स्वयम्भु: self-manifest
• स्वयम्भु: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

• स्थापितम्: installed, established
• स्थापितम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच्; कृदन्त: स्थापित (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: also/even)

• पौरुषेयम्: man-made
• पौरुषेयम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौरुषेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

• अपौरुषम्: not man-made
• अपौरुषम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At pradoṣa twilight, a devotee offers water, bilva leaves, incense, and a lamp to an immovable liṅga; the sky is indigo with the first stars; the liṅga may be shown as svayaṃbhu emerging from rock or as a temple-installed icon, emphasizing inclusivity of forms.

Characters & Entities

• Pradoṣa
• Liṅga
• Svayaṃbhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s accessibility is emphasized: devotion at pradoṣa sanctifies worship of any established liṅga, regardless of origin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa milieu highlights liṅga-sites across the Kedāra sacred landscape, including self-manifest and installed shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At pradoṣa, worship a sthāvara (fixed) liṅga, irrespective of whether it is svayaṃbhū, installed, man-made, or non-man-made.