Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

लीयंते च विलीयंते महेशे लिंगरूपिणि । प्रकृत्यंतर्गतं लिंगं लिंगस्यांतर्गता च सा

Transliteration

līyaṃte ca vilīyaṃte maheśe liṃgarūpiṇi | prakṛtyaṃtargataṃ liṃgaṃ liṃgasyāṃtargatā ca sā

Translation

Ils se fondent et se résorbent en Maheśa sous la forme du Liṅga. Le Liṅga est contenu dans Prakṛti, et elle (Prakṛti) est contenue dans le Liṅga.

Word by Word

• लीयन्ते: merge/dissolve
• लीयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

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

• विलीयन्ते: dissolve completely
• विलीयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• महेशे: in Maheśa (Śiva)
• महेशे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन (singular)

• लिङ्गरूपिणि: in the one having the form of the liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपिणि: Adhikarana (Locus-qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (adjective) महेशे इति विशेष्यस्य

• प्रकृत्यन्तर्गतं: entered within Prakṛti
• प्रकृत्यन्तर्गतं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर्गत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nominative/accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (adjective)

• लिङ्गं: the liṅga
• लिङ्गं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nominative/accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• अन्तर्गतā: entered within
• अन्तर्गतā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्गत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (adjective) सा इति

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

• सा: she (that śakti)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience seeking māhātmya and tattva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cosmic spheres stream inward and vanish into a liṅga of Maheśa; simultaneously, prakṛti appears as a surrounding veil that is itself contained within the liṅga—an image of mutual containment.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa
• Liṅga
• Prakṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation and nature are not outside Śiva; the Liṅga and Prakṛti interpenetrate, culminating in dissolution into Maheśa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Liṅga-centered sanctity is reinforced as the theological ground for understanding dissolution and immanence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the emphasis is doctrinal—laya in the Liṅga and the Liṅga–Prakṛti relation.