Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । मम स्पर्धा समुत्पन्ना विष्णुना सह शोभने । लिंगस्यास्य हि पर्यंतं यो लभिष्यति चावयोः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | mama spardhā samutpannā viṣṇunā saha śobhane | liṃgasyāsya hi paryaṃtaṃ yo labhiṣyati cāvayoḥ

Translation

ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಹೇ ಶೋಭನೆ! ನನಗೂ ವಿಷ್ಣುವಿಗೂ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧೆ ಉಂಟಾಯಿತು; ನಮ್ಮಿಬ್ಬರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರು ಈ ಲಿಂಗದ ಅಂತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳುವನೋ, ಅವನೇ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನೆಂದು ಅಂಗೀಕಾರವಾಗುವನು.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्पर्धा: rivalry, contest
• स्पर्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समुत्पन्ना: arisen
• समुत्पन्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उत् + पद् (धातु) → समुत्पन्न (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; स्पर्धा इति विशेषणम्

• विष्णुना: with Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Sahakari (Co-agent/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (Association/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपसर्गसदृश (postposition: ‘with’)

• शोभने: O beautiful one
• शोभने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संबोधन (address)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed)

• पर्यन्तम्: limit, end
• पर्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• लभिष्यति: will obtain
• लभिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• आवयोः: of us two
• आवयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (narrative locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā speaks of rivalry with Viṣṇu before an awe-inspiring liṅga-pillar that pierces heavens and netherworlds; both deities poised to search its limits.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva (as the Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine supremacy is not won by rivalry; the liṅga symbolizes the immeasurable reality of Śiva beyond competitive ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa context, the narrative supports the Śaiva sanctity associated with Arbuda (Mount Abu) traditions, emphasizing liṅga-mahātmyas rather than naming a single bathing-tīrtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it introduces a doctrinal contest about finding the liṅga’s limit.