Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

लयनाल्लिंगमित्येवं प्रवदंति मनीषिणः । तथाभूतं वर्द्धमानं दृष्ट्वा तेऽपि सुरर्षयः

Transliteration

layanālliṃgamityevaṃ pravadaṃti manīṣiṇaḥ | tathābhūtaṃ varddhamānaṃ dṛṣṭvā te'pi surarṣayaḥ

Translation

‘ലയത്തിന്റെ ആധാരമായതിനാൽ ഇതിനെ ലിംഗം എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു’ എന്ന് മनीഷികൾ പറയുന്നു. അതിനെ അങ്ങനെ തന്നെ നിരന്തരം വർധിക്കുന്നതായി കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, ദേവർഷിമാരും—

Word by Word

• लयनात्: from dissolution
• लयनात्: Apadana (Cause/source-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: (it is) liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Quoted content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as predicate-noun with ‘iti’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• प्रवदन्ति: they declare/say
• प्रवदन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• मनीषिणः: the sages/wise ones
• मनीषिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• तथा-भूतम्: such-formed/so constituted
• तथा-भूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying implied object)

• वर्धमानम्: growing/increasing
• वर्धमानम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Sambandha (Gerundial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• सुर-ऋषयः: the divine seers
• सुर-ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Wise seers gesture toward a growing, radiant liṅga; the pillar seems to expand beyond sight, while devas and ṛṣis watch in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Suraṛṣis (divine sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The liṅga signifies the ultimate reality into which all things resolve; wisdom recognizes Śiva as the ground of dissolution and renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-khaṇḍa’s Kedāra setting, where liṅga-māhātmya is taught through cosmic imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides a doctrinal definition supporting liṅga worship.