Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

ततश्चिंतयतस्तस्य बिल्वाधस्तात्सुशोभनम् । उच्छ्रितं सुमहालिंगं पृथिव्या द्योतयद्दिशः

Transliteration

tataściṃtayatastasya bilvādhastātsuśobhanam | ucchritaṃ sumahāliṃgaṃ pṛthivyā dyotayaddiśaḥ

Translation

Alors, tandis qu’il méditait, sous l’arbre bilva apparut un Grand Liṅga, splendide et très élevé, illuminant les directions sur la terre.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (then/thereupon)

• चिन्तयतः: while he was thinking (of him thinking)
• चिन्तयतः: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th case); एकवचन; ‘चिन्तयतः’ = “of (him) thinking”

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• बिल्वाधस्तात्: beneath the bilva tree
• बिल्वाधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बिल्व + अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; ‘बिल्वस्य अधस्तात्’ (below the bilva-tree); अव्यय

• सुशोभनम्: very beautiful
• सुशोभनम्: Karta (as predicate nominative with ‘लिङ्गम्’/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शोभन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सुशोभन = अतिशयेन शोभन); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘लिङ्गम्’)

• उच्छ्रितम्: raised, lofty
• उच्छ्रितम्: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्√श्रि (धातु) + क्त
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (raised/lofty)

• सुमहालिङ्गम्: a very great liṅga
• सुमहालिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु-महा-लिङ्गम् = very great liṅga); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• पृथिव्याः: of the earth
• पृथिव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th case); एकवचन

• द्योतयत्: illuminating
• द्योतयत्: Kriyā (Participial action qualifying subject/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √द्योत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘द्योतयत्’ = “illuminating”

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case); बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bilva-tale Mahā-liṅga-sthāna (name not specified in excerpt)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuru-nandana (addressed in the narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Under a bilva tree, a towering, splendid Mahā-liṅga suddenly rises/appears, emitting light that spreads to all directions; Kālabhīti stands nearby in stunned devotion, the earth and sky subtly responding to the radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Bilva
• Liṅga (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence becomes manifest (liṅga-prādurbhāva) where dharma, devotion, and sacred signs (like bilva) converge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse indicates a specific sacred spot marked by a bilva tree and a manifested Mahāliṅga, but it does not name the location explicitly in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly supports Śiva-liṅga worship and the sanctity of bilva-associated Śaiva places; no explicit rite is stated here.