Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एतन्माहेश्वरं लिंगं योऽस्य चांते गमिष्यति । स ज्येष्ठः स विभुः कर्त्ता युवयोर्नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

etanmāheśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ yo'sya cāṃte gamiṣyati | sa jyeṣṭhaḥ sa vibhuḥ karttā yuvayornātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

“This is the Māheśvara Liṅga. Whoever reaches its end—he is the elder, the all-pervading Lord, the true doer as between you two; of this there is no doubt.”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण

• माहेश्वरम्: of Maheśvara (Śiva)
• माहेश्वरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तद्धित-निष्पन्न (महेेश्वरसम्बन्धि) = belonging to Maheśvara; विशेषण

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• अस्य: of it
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• गमिष्यति: will reach/go
• गमिष्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्येष्ठः: the elder/superior
• ज्येष्ठः: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण/प्रातिपदिक

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विभुः: the mighty lord
• विभुः: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; गुणवाचक-नाम

• कर्त्ता: the doer/agent
• कर्त्ता: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + कर्तृ (कृदन्त, तृच्) → कर्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक

• युवयोः: of you two
• युवयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) = negation particle

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = adverb of place

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī Vāk (incorporeal divine voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māheśvara Liṅga (Ananta/Jyoti-liṅga motif)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Royal interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The bodiless voice identifies the pillar as Māheśvara; Brahmā and Viṣṇu stand dwarfed by the infinite liṅga, realizing the futility of reaching its end.

Characters & Entities

• Māheśvara Liṅga
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva (implied as Maheśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supremacy is not claimed by argument but revealed by truth; the Infinite cannot be measured, and humility is the correct response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda’s Māheśvara liṅga setting—presented as a sacred manifestation within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s travel-sacral map.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse frames a theological criterion that culminates in worship and praise in subsequent verses.