Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

अद्यैव भयमुत्पन्नं लिंगादस्माच्चिरंतनम् । न शक्यते मया त्रातुमस्माल्लिंगभयात्सुराः

Transliteration

adyaiva bhayamutpannaṃ liṃgādasmācciraṃtanam | na śakyate mayā trātumasmālliṃgabhayātsurāḥ

Translation

„Schon heute ist aus diesem Liṅga eine uralte Furcht erwacht. Ich vermag die Götter nicht vor dem Schrecken zu retten, den dieses Liṅga hervorruft.“

Word by Word

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (Temporal adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (Emphatic particle)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्पन्नम्: has arisen
• उत्पन्नम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; here predicate with भयम्

• लिङ्गात्: from the liṅga
• लिङ्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयम्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: अस्मद्-नहीं; demonstrative)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Pronoun)

• चिरन्तनम्: ancient, long-standing
• चिरन्तनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिरन्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भयम् इति विशेषणम्

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

• शक्यते: is possible
• शक्यते: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रातुम्: to save
• त्रातुम्: Karma (Verbal complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु) + तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुनन्त (Infinitive), प्रयोजन/समर्थ्य (purpose/complement of शक्यते)

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयम्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• लिङ्गभयात्: from fear of the liṅga
• लिङ्गभयात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुराः: O gods
• सुराः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (Vocative or Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); here address

Speaker

Acyuta (Viṣṇu/Janārdana) (deduced from next verse: “acyutenaivamuktāḥ…”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-liṅga (Kedāranātha)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, grave after smiling, indicates an ancient dread emanating from the liṅga; devas recoil slightly, faces showing sacred awe; the liṅga radiates an intense, ungraspable power.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Surāḥ (Devas)
• Acyuta (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Liṅga signifies an overwhelming, timeless divine reality that even gods approach with reverent awe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (Kedarnath region) within the Kedārakhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets the narrative tone of awe toward the Liṅga.