Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 113
गिरौ वने समुद्रांते नद्यां यच्च शिवालये । तद्वै स्वायंभुवं लिंगं स्वयं तत्रैव संस्थितम्
girau vane samudrāṃte nadyāṃ yacca śivālaye | tadvai svāyaṃbhuvaṃ liṃgaṃ svayaṃ tatraiva saṃsthitam
Que ce soit sur la montagne, dans la forêt, au bord de la mer, sur la rive d’une rivière ou dans un temple de Śiva—où qu’on le trouve—sachez que c’est un Liṅga svayambhū, établi là par lui-même.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Svayambhū-liṅga-sthāna (terrain-based typology)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A montage-like sacred map: a liṅga appearing in five settings—on a peak, in a forest grove, at the sea’s edge, on a riverbank, and within a temple—each with devotees recognizing it as svayambhū.
FAQs
Divine presence is not confined to cities; svayambhū liṅgas sanctify diverse landscapes, turning nature into tīrtha.
The broader context is Vastrāpathakṣetra within Prabhāsa, while the verse also universalizes Śaiva tīrthas across terrains.
Recognize and honor svayambhū liṅgas wherever encountered—mountain, forest, seashore, river-bank, or temple.