Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 119

Devanagari script

इति तस्यवचः श्रुत्वा प्रीतस्तं शंकरोऽब्रवीत् । स्वायंभुवं यत्र लिंगं तत्र नित्यं वसाम्यहम्

Transliteration

iti tasyavacaḥ śrutvā prītastaṃ śaṃkaro'bravīt | svāyaṃbhuvaṃ yatra liṃgaṃ tatra nityaṃ vasāmyaham

Translation

അവന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് പ്രസന്നനായ ശങ്കരൻ പറഞ്ഞു: എവിടെ സ്വയംഭൂ ലിംഗം ഉണ്ടോ, അവിടെ ഞാൻ നിത്യവും വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (श्रुत्वा इत्यस्य कर्म)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• प्रीतः: pleased
• प्रीतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्री (धातु) → प्रीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शंकरः)

• तम्: to him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वायंभुवम्: self-manifest (svāyaṃbhuva)
• स्वायंभुवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वायंभुव (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + आयंभुव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्); तत्पुरुषः (स्वयम् + आयंभुवः/भवः)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial accusative used as avyaya)

• वसामि: I dwell
• वसामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svāyaṃbhuva-liṅga sites (generic charter)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara, pleased, speaks a boon: wherever a svayambhu-liṅga stands, he dwells eternally; the scene shows multiple shrines subtly appearing in the background as a cosmic map of Śiva’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śaṅkara
• Svāyaṃbhuva Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-manifest sacred forms are understood as especially potent loci of divine presence and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies any svāyaṃbhuva liṅga-sthala, implying that this very site is to be revered as a perpetual abode of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is commanded here; it establishes the doctrine of Śiva’s nitya-vāsa (eternal dwelling) at svāyaṃbhuva liṅgas, encouraging worship and pilgrimage.