Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

एतत्संदर्शनार्थाय लिंगमूर्तिरभूद्विभुः । तल्लिंगमतुलं देवा नमश्चक्रुर्मुदान्विताः

Transliteration

etatsaṃdarśanārthāya liṃgamūrtirabhūdvibhuḥ | talliṃgamatulaṃ devā namaścakrurmudānvitāḥ

Translation

To grant this vision, the all-pervading Lord assumed the form of the Liṅga. Delighted, the gods bowed in reverence to that incomparable Liṅga.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• संदर्शनार्थाय: for the purpose of showing/seeing
• संदर्शनार्थाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदर्शन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—संदर्शनस्य अर्थः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• लिङ्गमूर्तिः: the liṅga-form (manifestation)
• लिङ्गमूर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—लिङ्गरूपा मूर्तिः (तत्पुरुष)

• अभूत्: became/appeared
• अभूत्: Kriyā (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• विभुः: the all-pervading Lord
• विभुः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (interjection/particle of salutation)

• चक्रुः: made/did (paid)
• चक्रुः: Kriyā (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• मुदान्विताः: endowed with joy
• मुदान्विताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of देवाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदा + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √इ ‘to go/attach’ in sense ‘endowed’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त ‘अन्वित’ (past participle) ; समासः—मुदया अन्विताः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrative voice

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The all-pervading Lord manifests as a radiant, incomparable liṅga; the assembled devas, faces uplifted in wonder, bow with folded hands, their crowns catching the liṅga’s glow.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhu (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• devāḥ (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine revelation (darśana) is compassion: Śiva takes a worshipable form so beings may approach Him with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named; the focus is the Liṅga as a universal sacred presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reverential bowing (namaskāra) and worship of the Liṅga are implied as the proper response to darśana.