Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

गोपसूनोः प्रसादाय प्रादुर्भूतं शिवालयम् । लिंगं च वीक्ष्य सुमहच्छिवे चक्रुः परां मतिम्

Transliteration

gopasūnoḥ prasādāya prādurbhūtaṃ śivālayam | liṃgaṃ ca vīkṣya sumahacchive cakruḥ parāṃ matim

Translation

ഗോപകുമാരനോടുള്ള പ്രസാദത്താൽ പ്രത്യക്ഷമായ ശിവാലയവും മഹാലിംഗവും ദർശിച്ച്, അവർ ശിവനിൽ പരമനിശ്ചയം ഉറപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• गोप-सूनोः: of the cowherd’s son
• गोप-सूनोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopa (प्रातिपदिक) + sūnu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (गोपस्य सूनुः)

• प्रसादाय: for (his) grace/favour
• प्रसादाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचनम्

• प्रादुर्-भूतम्: manifested/appeared
• प्रादुर्-भूतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prādur (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + bhūta (कृदन्त; भू-धातु, क्त/PPP)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनम्; कृदन्त-विशेषणम् (क्त) ‘भूत’ + अव्ययीभावः ‘प्रादुर्’

• शिव-आलयम्: Shiva’s abode/temple
• शिव-आलयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य आलयः)

• लिङ्गम्: (Shiva-)liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) ‘वि+ईक्ष्’

• सु-महत्: very great
• सु-महत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय-उपसर्ग) + mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (सु + महत्)

• शिवे: in/with regard to Shiva
• शिवे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचनम्; देवतानाम

• चक्रुः: made/formed
• चक्रुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd) बहुवचनम्

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (मतिम्)

• मतिम्: thought/resolve
• मतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-kṣetra (Ujjayinī) — manifested Śiva-alaya (episode-specific)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A newly manifested Śiva-temple stands radiant; inside, a massive liṅga gleams with sacred marks; kings gaze in awe, hands folded, their faces transformed into devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Śivālaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of a manifested Śiva-liṅga leads to parā mati—supreme conviction and surrender to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s Ujjayinī/Ujjain, where the Śivālaya and Liṅga are described as miraculously manifested.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit injunction; the implied practice is liṅga-darśana and turning one’s mind (mati) toward Śiva.