Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

लयनाल्लिंगमित्येवं प्रवदंति मनीषिणः । तथाभूतं वर्द्धमानं दृष्ट्वा तेऽपि सुरर्षयः

Transliteration

layanālliṃgamityevaṃ pravadaṃti manīṣiṇaḥ | tathābhūtaṃ varddhamānaṃ dṛṣṭvā te'pi surarṣayaḥ

Translation

„Weil es der Ort der Auflösung (laya) ist, heißt es Liṅga“, so verkünden die Weisen. Als sie es in diesem Zustand sahen, unaufhörlich wachsend, selbst die göttlichen Rishis—

Word by Word

• लयनात्: from dissolution
• लयनात्: Apadana (Cause/source-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: (it is) liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Quoted content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as predicate-noun with ‘iti’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• प्रवदन्ति: they declare/say
• प्रवदन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• मनीषिणः: the sages/wise ones
• मनीषिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• तथा-भूतम्: such-formed/so constituted
• तथा-भूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying implied object)

• वर्धमानम्: growing/increasing
• वर्धमानम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Sambandha (Gerundial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• सुर-ऋषयः: the divine seers
• सुर-ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Wise seers gesture toward a growing, radiant liṅga; the pillar seems to expand beyond sight, while devas and ṛṣis watch in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Suraṛṣis (divine sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The liṅga signifies the ultimate reality into which all things resolve; wisdom recognizes Śiva as the ground of dissolution and renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s Kedāra setting, where liṅga-māhātmya is taught through cosmic imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides a doctrinal definition supporting liṅga worship.