Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यस्मिन्नेव ततो लिंगं लयनात्कथितं पुरा । तस्माल्लिंगे लयं प्राप्ता परा शक्तिः कुतोऽपरे

Transliteration

yasminneva tato liṃgaṃ layanātkathitaṃ purā | tasmālliṃge layaṃ prāptā parā śaktiḥ kuto'pare

Translation

C’est pourquoi on l’a jadis nommé « Liṅga », car tout s’y résorbe. Si la Puissance suprême (Parā Śakti) elle-même s’y dissout, combien plus les autres choses le feront-elles !

Word by Word

• yasmin: in which
• yasmin: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• tataḥ: therefore; from that
• tataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त/अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• layanāt: from dissolution; because of merging
• layanāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: layana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादानार्थ ('because of/from dissolution')

• kathitam: was called; was stated
• kathitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (कथ्) (धातु) + kathita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग ('was said/called')

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त (ablative adverb)

• liṅge: in the liṅga
• liṅge: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• layam: dissolution; merging
• layam: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object of motion/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prāptā: has attained; has reached
• prāptā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप्) (धातु) + prāpta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियापदवत् ('has attained')

• parā: supreme
• parā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• śaktiḥ: power; Śakti
• śaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kutaḥ: whence? how?
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• apare: others
• apare: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'others' (elliptic)

Speaker

Vyāsa (continuing Nandin’s doctrine)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra Liṅga

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: disciples/dvijas in Kedāra context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a teacher points to the Liṅga while the cosmos—planets, beings, elements—visibly contracts into it like rivers into the sea; the idea of ‘name from function’ (liṅga from laya) is highlighted.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Parā Śakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Liṅga is portrayed as the ultimate ground where even supreme cosmic power resolves—hence it is the highest refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Contextually Kedāra, where Liṅga worship is celebrated as a direct approach to the supreme dissolving-principle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit encouragement toward Liṅga devotion; the explicit injunction appears in the next verse.