Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

मध्ये प्रादुरभूल्लिंगं स्वयंज्योतिरनामयम् । तौ दृष्ट्वा विस्मितौ लिंगं ब्रह्मविष्णु परस्परम्

Transliteration

madhye prādurabhūlliṃgaṃ svayaṃjyotiranāmayam | tau dṛṣṭvā vismitau liṃgaṃ brahmaviṣṇu parasparam

Translation

Au milieu d’eux apparut un Liṅga, de sa propre lumière et sans aucune souillure. Voyant ce Liṅga, Brahmā et Viṣṇu furent saisis d’étonnement et se regardèrent l’un l’autre.

Word by Word

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रादुरभूत्: appeared
• प्रादुरभूत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prādur + √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग/अव्ययपूर्वक (prādur-)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (pillar/mark)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• स्वयंज्योतिः: self-luminous
• स्वयंज्योतिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svayam-jyotis (प्रातिपदिक; svayam + jyotis)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् लिङ्गस्य; कर्मधारयः (svayam eva jyotiḥ)

• अनामयम्: free from disease/blemish
• अनामयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-āmaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् लिङ्गस्य

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), द्विवचन (dual)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वकालिक (having done earlier)

• विस्मितौ: astonished
• विस्मितौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vismita (प्रातिपदिक; √smi + vi, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), द्विवचन (dual); विशेषणम् तयोः

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• ब्रह्मविष्णु: Brahmā and Viṣṇu
• ब्रह्मविष्णु: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā + viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), द्विवचनार्थे (dual sense) एकवचनरूपेण (collective); द्वन्द्वसमासः

• परस्परम्: mutually/at each other
• परस्परम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (परस्परार्थक/reciprocal adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svayaṃjyotir-liṅga (archetypal)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing, beginningless pillar of light erupts between Brahmā and Viṣṇu; both stand stunned, turning from the radiance to look at each other in disbelief.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Svayaṃjyoti (self-luminous light)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The ultimate reality is self-revealing and transcends rivalry; encountering it dissolves certainty and awakens wonder.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Setukhaṇḍa’s pilgrimage frame, the Jyotirliṅga motif reinforces the sanctity of Setu-linked Śaiva worship (especially the Rāmeśvara/Setubandha sacred corridor).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse describes the epiphany of the self-luminous Liṅga.