Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

आवृत्य सप्त पातालान्क्षणाल्लिंगमदोर्ध्वतः । व्याप्य पृथ्वीं समग्रां च अंतरिक्षं समावृणोत्

Transliteration

āvṛtya sapta pātālānkṣaṇālliṃgamadordhvataḥ | vyāpya pṛthvīṃ samagrāṃ ca aṃtarikṣaṃ samāvṛṇot

Translation

En un instant, le liṅga s’éleva vers le haut, recouvrant les sept Pātāla. Et, pénétrant la terre entière, il enveloppa aussi l’espace intermédiaire (antarikṣa).

Word by Word

• आवृत्य: having covered
• आवृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛ (धातु) + ā- → āvṛtya (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having covered)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; पातालान् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्; (here: masculine accusative plural agreeing with पातालान्)

• पातालान्: netherworlds
• पातालान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (बहुधा), द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• क्षणात्: in a moment
• क्षणात्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time limit/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; कालावधि/अत्यल्पकालार्थे (within a moment)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अदः: that (yonder)
• अदः: Karta (Determiner of subject/कर्तृनिर्देशक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण (निर्देशक)

• ऊर्ध्वतः: upwards, from above
• ऊर्ध्वतः: Desha-adhikaraṇa (Directional adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb): 'from above/upwards'

• व्याप्य: having pervaded
• व्याप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vyāp (धातु) → vyāpya (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having pervaded)

• पृथ्वीम्: the earth
• पृथ्वीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समग्राम्: entire, complete
• समग्राम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samagra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• अन्तरिक्षम्: the mid-region/sky
• अन्तरिक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antarikṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समावृणोत्: covered, enveloped
• समावृणोत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु) + sam-ā-
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal liṅga surges upward like a limitless pillar; below it presses into the pātālas, above it fills the sky; earth and atmosphere are wrapped in its presence.

Characters & Entities

• liṅga
• sapta pātāla
• pṛthvī
• aṃtarikṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s liṅga signifies the infinite, all-pervading Reality that transcends worlds—earth, mid-space, and the nether realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedāranātha) context, where liṅga-māhātmya grounds the sanctity of pilgrimage and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse provides cosmological praise that supports liṅga-pūjā and tīrtha-veneration.