Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

पुरा मे योगयुक्तस्य लिंगमेतद्भुवस्तलात् । उद्भिद्य सप्तपातालं निरगात्पुरतो महत्

Transliteration

purā me yogayuktasya liṃgametadbhuvastalāt | udbhidya saptapātālaṃ niragātpurato mahat

Translation

Autrefois, lorsque j’étais absorbé dans le yoga, ce grand Liṅga jaillit de la surface de la terre, perça les sept Pātālas et se manifesta devant moi.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala/Avyaya (Temporal adverb/काल-अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘formerly/once’

• मे: my; to me
• मे: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive/dative singular: ‘my/to me’)

• योग-युक्तस्य: of (me) engaged in yoga
• योग-युक्तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. gen. sg.: ‘of one engaged in yoga’)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (neuter nom. sg.)

• भुवः-तलात्: from the surface of the earth
• भुवः-तलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवस्/भुवः (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, ablative singular)

• उद्भिद्य: having burst forth
• उद्भिद्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having burst forth/split open’

• सप्त-पातालम्: the seven netherworlds
• सप्त-पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगुसमास (neuter acc. sg.)

• निरगात्: went out; emerged
• निरगात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg.)

• पुरतः: in front; ahead
• पुरतः: Desha/Avyaya (Spatial adverb/देश-अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘in front/ahead’

• महत्: great; huge
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom. sg.)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced: first-person 'me' in discourse to Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triviṣṭapa-liṅga (prādurbhūta mahā-liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic vertical eruption: the liṅga rises from the earth like a dark, luminous pillar, splitting ground layers; beneath, stylized seven pātālas; above, Śiva in yogic posture opens his eyes to behold it; cosmic light streams upward.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pātāla (seven netherworlds)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Liṅga’s sanctity is grounded in a cosmic manifestation narrative, portraying it as self-revealed and supremely potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The manifested Liṅga being discussed in this adhyāya—associated with Kāśī’s Trilocana/Triviṣṭapa tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides mythic-cosmological provenance for the Liṅga’s greatness.