Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

प्रादुर्भावे ततस्तस्य महालिंगस्य भारत । ननर्त खेप्सरोवृंदं गधर्वा ललितं जगुः

Transliteration

prādurbhāve tatastasya mahāliṃgasya bhārata | nanarta khepsarovṛṃdaṃ gadharvā lalitaṃ jaguḥ

Translation

À la manifestation de ce Grand Liṅga, ô Bhārata, des troupes d’apsaras dansèrent dans le ciel, et les gandharvas chantèrent avec douceur.

Word by Word

• प्रादुर्भावे: at the manifestation
• प्रादुर्भावे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रादुर्भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘प्रादुर्भाव’ = manifestation/appearance (locative absolute sense)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘then/from that’

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; pronoun ‘of that’

• महालिङ्गस्य: of the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्’)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• ननर्त: danced
• ननर्त: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• खे-अप्सरो-वृन्दम्: the host of apsarases in the sky
• खे-अप्सरो-वृन्दम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख + अप्सरस् + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘खे’ = in the sky + ‘अप्सरः’); sandhi: खे + अप्सरोवृन्दम् → खेप्सरोवृन्दम्

• गन्धर्वाः: the gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• ललितम्: sweetly/beautifully (a lovely song)
• ललितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ललित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying the गीतम्/गानम् implied)

• जगुः: sang
• जगुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-liṅga (prādurbhāva-sthala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata/Kauravya (addressee within the frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal radiant liṅga manifests; in the sky apsarases form circling dance-rows while gandharvas sing; below, sages and devas gaze upward in astonished devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāliṅga
• Apsarases
• Gandharvas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true Śaiva revelation is cosmic in scope—heavenly beings rejoice, signaling the sanctity of the manifested liṅga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate site of the Mahāliṅga manifestation is glorified, though the name of the place is not given in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it describes the auspicious signs accompanying darśana.