Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1
ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि च्छायालिंगमिति स्मृतम् । उत्तरे न्यंकुमत्याश्च बह्वाश्चर्यं महत्फलम्
īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi cchāyāliṃgamiti smṛtam | uttare nyaṃkumatyāśca bahvāścaryaṃ mahatphalam
ईश्वर बोले—तत्पश्चात्, हे महादेवी, ‘छायालिङ्ग’ नाम से प्रसिद्ध स्थान को जाना चाहिए। वह न्यङ्कुमती के उत्तर में है—अत्यन्त आश्चर्यमय—और महान् पुण्यफल देने वाला है।
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Chāyāliṅga
Type: kshetra
Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Devī on a pilgrimage map: a luminous liṅga that appears like a ‘shadow’ (chāyā) stands to the north, with a subtle play of light and shade suggesting its name; nearby a river/stream or landmark named Nyaṅkumatī anchors the direction.
FAQs
Sacred places are presented as living theology: approaching a Śaiva shrine with reverence is itself a source of ‘great fruit’.
Chāyāliṅga, situated north of Nyaṅkumatī in Prabhāsakṣetra.
A yātrā directive to go and visit (darśana) the Chāyāliṅga; detailed rites are implied by the māhātmya context.