Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1
श्रीगणेशाय नमः श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः । अथ ब्रह्मोत्तरखंडमारंभः । ॐ नमः शिवाय । ज्योतिर्मात्रस्वरूपाय निर्मलज्ञानचक्षुषे । नमः शिवाय शांताय ब्रह्मणे लिंगमूर्त्तये
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ śrīgurubhyo namaḥ | atha brahmottarakhaṃḍamāraṃbhaḥ | oṃ namaḥ śivāya | jyotirmātrasvarūpāya nirmalajñānacakṣuṣe | namaḥ śivāya śāṃtāya brahmaṇe liṃgamūrttaye
શ્રીગણેશાય નમઃ, શ્રીગુરુભ્યો નમઃ। હવે બ્રહ્મોત્તરખંડનો આરંભ. ॐ નમઃ શિવાય। જે માત્ર જ્યોતિસ્વરૂપ છે અને જેમનું જ્ઞાનચક્ષુ નિર્મળ છે—તે શાંત શિવને નમસ્કાર; લિંગમૂર્તિરૂપે પ્રગટ પરબ્રહ્મને નમસ્કાર।
Compiler/Narrator (maṅgalācaraṇa at the opening of Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)
Scene: A luminous, abstracted Śiva as pure Light, yet present as a Liṅga; Gaṇeśa and the Guru principle are saluted at the threshold of the text; the scene feels like a sanctum opening before narration begins.
FAQs
All auspicious study begins with surrender—seeking obstacle-removal (Gaṇeśa), guidance (Guru), and ultimate refuge in Śiva as pure Light and Brahman.
No single tīrtha is specified in this invocatory verse; it frames the section with Śiva–Liṅga theology that later supports tīrtha-māhātmya narratives.
The mantra “oṃ namaḥ śivāya” is invoked, implying japa and reverential worship of the Liṅga.