Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

उद्भाति स्थितिमाप्नोति तथा विलयमेति च । तल्लिंगं लिंगमित्याहुर्लयनात्तत्त्ववित्तमाः

Transliteration

udbhāti sthitimāpnoti tathā vilayameti ca | talliṃgaṃ liṃgamityāhurlayanāttattvavittamāḥ

Translation

Es leuchtet hervor, erlangt Beständigkeit und geht auch in Auflösung ein. Darum nennen die Wahrheitskundigen es «Liṅga», weil es bei der Auflösung alles in sich aufnimmt.

Word by Word

• udbhāti: shines forth, arises
• udbhāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhā (धातु) उपसर्ग: ud-
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sthitim: stability, continuance
• sthitim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• āpnoti: attains
• āpnoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• vilayam: dissolution
• vilayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vilaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• eti: goes to, reaches
• eti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: i (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

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

• liṅgam: ‘liṅga’
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नामनिर्देशे (as predicate/quoted name)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• āhuḥ: they say
• āhuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• layanāt: from/because of dissolution (merging)
• layanāt: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: layana (प्रातिपदिक; भाववाचक-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; हेतौ पञ्चमी (because of dissolution/merging)

• tattva-vittamāḥ: the best knowers of truth
• tattva-vittamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva + vittama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तत्त्वं वेत्ति) + ‘-tama’ (superlative)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (narrator) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic cosmic tableau: the liṅga radiates (udbhāti), steadies (sthiti), and then draws all forms back into itself (laya), with sages (tattva-vittamāḥ) indicating the meaning of ‘liṅga’.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Tattvavitta (knowers of truth)
• Laya (dissolution)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Liṅga symbolizes the divine ground of creation, preservation, and dissolution—ultimate reality beyond change.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedarnath, where the Mahāliṅga is praised not only ritually but also philosophically.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse provides a doctrinal meaning supporting Liṅga-pūjā as worship of the cosmic absolute.