Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

भूलिंगममलं ह्येतद्दृश्यमध्यात्मचक्षुषा । अंतस्स्थं वा बहिस्स्थं वा त्वद्भक्तैरनुभूयते

Transliteration

bhūliṃgamamalaṃ hyetaddṛśyamadhyātmacakṣuṣā | aṃtassthaṃ vā bahissthaṃ vā tvadbhaktairanubhūyate

Translation

ഈ നിർമല ഭൂ-ലിംഗം ആത്മദൃഷ്ടിയാൽ തന്നെ ദർശിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; അകത്ത് നിലകൊള്ളുകയോ പുറത്തിരിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്താലും നിന്റെ ഭക്തർ അതിനെ അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• bhū-liṅgam: the earth-linga (Bhūliṅga)
• bhū-liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: भूः-सम्बन्धि लिङ्गम्)

• amalam: spotless; pure
• amalam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; अवधारण/हेतु-भाव)

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम, विशेषण

• dṛśyam: visible; to be seen
• dṛśyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛśya (कृदन्त, √dṛś धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त (यत्), विशेषण

• adhyātma-cakṣuṣā: with the inner (spiritual) eye
• adhyātma-cakṣuṣā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyātma (प्रातिपदिक) + cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समास (तत्पुरुष: अध्यात्मस्य चक्षुः)

• antaḥ-stham: situated within
• antaḥ-stham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: antaḥ (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तत्पुरुष: अन्तः स्थितम्)

• vā: or
• vā: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/समुच्चय)

• bahiḥ-stham: situated outside
• bahiḥ-stham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तत्पुरुष: बहिः स्थितम्)

• vā: or
• vā: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/समुच्चय)

• tvat-bhaktaiḥ: by your devotees
• tvat-bhaktaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvat (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + bhakta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक, √bhaj धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समास (तत्पुरुष: त्वत्सम्बन्धिनः भक्ताः)

• anubhūyate: is experienced; is realized
• anubhūyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु) with anu- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhū-liṅga of Aruṇācala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in meditation before the Arunachaleshvara liṅga; simultaneously, a luminous liṅga appears within the devotee’s heart-lotus, showing ‘within and without’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhūliṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The liṅga is not merely an external object; devotees realize Śiva inwardly through spiritual perception.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala is the broader sacred setting; the verse highlights a liṅga-form associated with the place’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed; it points to contemplative ‘seeing’ and devotional experience of the liṅga.