Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

भगलिङ्गाङ्कितं सर्वं व्याप्तं वै परमेष्ठिना । भगरूपो भवेद्विष्णुर्लिङ्गरूपो महेश्वरः

Transliteration

bhagaliṅgāṅkitaṃ sarvaṃ vyāptaṃ vai parameṣṭhinā | bhagarūpo bhavedviṣṇurliṅgarūpo maheśvaraḥ

Translation

പരമേഷ്ഠിയാൽ ഈ സർവ്വവും ‘ഭഗ’യും ‘ലിംഗ’വും എന്ന ചിഹ്നങ്ങളാൽ അങ്കിതമായി വ്യാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു; വിഷ്ണു ഭഗരൂപൻ, മഹേശ്വരൻ ലിംഗരൂപൻ।

Word by Word

• bhagaliṅgāṅkitam: marked with bhaga and liṅga
• bhagaliṅgāṅkitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaga (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅkita (कृदन्त, क्त; aṅk धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle used adjectivally, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• vyāptam: pervaded
• vyāptam: Kriyā (Predicative/व्याप्तिवाचक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + āp (धातु) → vyāpta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

• vai: indeed
• vai: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थ-अव्यय — emphatic particle

• parameṣṭhinā: by the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• parameṣṭhinā: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parameṣṭhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• bhagarūpaḥ: having the form of bhaga
• bhagarūpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaga (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• bhavet: would be, becomes
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/विधान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Singular

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• liṅgarūpaḥ: having the form of liṅga
• liṅgarūpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• maheśvaraḥ: Mahēśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from immediate continuation where Mahādeva addresses Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic field pervaded by Parameṣṭhin: on one side Viṣṇu radiates ‘Bhaga’—auspicious splendor with conch-disc; on the other a luminous Śiva-liṅga radiates as the ‘Liṅga’ sign. Both streams merge into one all-pervading light.

Characters & Entities

• Parameṣṭhin
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara
• Liṅga
• Bhaga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa presents a harmonizing vision: the one Supreme pervades all, expressed as Viṣṇu (Bhaga) and Śiva (Liṅga).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The doctrinal teaching is embedded in Revā-kṣetra narration; it supports the sanctity of Liṅga worship across Narmadā tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly affirms Liṅga-upāsanā (Śiva worship) and reverence for Viṣṇu as complementary; no step-by-step rite is stated.