Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ब्रह्माण्डागोलकैर्व्याप्तं तथा रुद्राक्षभूषितम् । तथा लिंगं महज्जातं सर्वेषां दुरतिक्रमम्

Transliteration

brahmāṇḍāgolakairvyāptaṃ tathā rudrākṣabhūṣitam | tathā liṃgaṃ mahajjātaṃ sarveṣāṃ duratikramam

Translation

ആ ലിംഗം ബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡഗോളങ്ങളാൽ വ്യാപ്തവും, രുദ്രാക്ഷങ്ങളാൽ ഭൂഷിതവും ആയിരുന്നു. ആ ലിംഗം മഹത്തായി പ്രാദുർഭവിച്ചു—എല്ലാവർക്കും അതിക്രമിക്കാനാകാത്തത്.

Word by Word

• brahmāṇḍa-āgolakaiḥ: by cosmic eggs and spheres
• brahmāṇḍa-āgolakaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmāṇḍa + āgolaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (ब्रह्माण्ड + आगोलक)

• vyāptam: pervaded
• vyāptam: Karta (Subject/Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vy-āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘pervaded/filled’

• tathā: and also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अन्वयार्थक क्रियाविशेषण

• rudrākṣa-bhūṣitam: adorned with rudrākṣa beads
• rudrākṣa-bhūṣitam: Karta (Subject/Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudrākṣa + bhūṣita (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रुद्राक्षैः भूषितम्)

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

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

• mahat: great
• mahat: Karta (Subject/Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• jātam: arisen, produced
• jātam: Karta (Subject/Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘born/produced’

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• dur-atikramam: hard to surpass/cross
• dur-atikramam: Karta (Subject/Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + ati-kram (धातु) → atikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक तत्पुरुष (दुरतिक्रमम् = दुष्करम् अतिक्रमणीयम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (narrator) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal liṅga filling the cosmic expanse, with brahmāṇḍa-spheres suggested as orbs within/around it; rudrākṣa garlands adorn the form, conveying both austerity and majesty; devotees appear tiny at its base.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Brahmāṇḍa (cosmic egg)
• Rudrākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s Liṅga is portrayed as cosmic in scale and supreme—devotion to it aligns the devotee with the highest reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedarnath, through the depiction of the Mahāliṅga’s boundless majesty.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rudrākṣa is indicated as a sacred Śaiva adornment; the broader context supports Liṅga worship with Śaiva symbols.