Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

पुरा भवद्भिः पृष्टोऽहं लिङ्गरूपी कथं शिवः । तत्सर्वं कथितं विप्रा याथातथ्येन संप्रति

Transliteration

purā bhavadbhiḥ pṛṣṭo'haṃ liṅgarūpī kathaṃ śivaḥ | tatsarvaṃ kathitaṃ viprā yāthātathyena saṃprati

Translation

Autrefois, vous m’avez demandé : « Comment Śiva est-il présent sous la forme du Liṅga ? » Ô brāhmanes, je vous ai maintenant tout expliqué, exactement selon la vérité.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly)

• भवद्भिः: by you (honored ones)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; आदरार्थक-सर्वनाम

• पृष्टः: asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘अहम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गरूपी: having the form of the liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग-रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: लिङ्ग + रूपिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘शिवः’ इति

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) / द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘सर्वम्’ इत्यनेन सह

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) / द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मपदम्

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेयम्—‘has been told’

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), बहुवचन

• याथातथ्येन: in accordance with the truth / as it really is
• याथातथ्येन: Karana (Manner/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याथातथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• संप्रति: now
• संप्रति: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संप्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (now/at present)

Speaker

Lomāśa (narrator) addressing the sages/brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedārakhaṇḍa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated narrator (Skanda) addressing a semicircle of brāhmaṇa sages; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial fire nearby; the liṅga visible in the background, symbolizing the topic just clarified.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence in the liṅga is presented as a true and authoritative teaching, inviting faith in liṅga-worship as a direct approach to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kedārakhaṇḍa, aligning the teaching with Kedāra’s Śaiva sacred landscape, though this line itself names no tirtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it functions as a doctrinal transition/recap about liṅga-form Śiva.