Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1
ईश्वर उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि च्छायालिंगमिति स्मृतम् । उत्तरे न्यंकुमत्याश्च बह्वाश्चर्यं महत्फलम्
īśvara uvāca | tato gacchenmahādevi cchāyāliṃgamiti smṛtam | uttare nyaṃkumatyāśca bahvāścaryaṃ mahatphalam
ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—അതിനുശേഷം, ഹേ മഹാദേവി, ‘ഛായാലിംഗം’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ സ്ഥലത്തേക്ക് പോകണം. അത് ന്യങ്കുമതിയുടെ വടക്കുഭാഗത്താണ്—അതിശയകരം—മഹാപുണ്യഫലദായകം।
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Chāyāliṅga
Type: kshetra
Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
Scene: Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Devī on a pilgrimage map: a luminous liṅga that appears like a ‘shadow’ (chāyā) stands to the north, with a subtle play of light and shade suggesting its name; nearby a river/stream or landmark named Nyaṅkumatī anchors the direction.
FAQs
Sacred places are presented as living theology: approaching a Śaiva shrine with reverence is itself a source of ‘great fruit’.
Chāyāliṅga, situated north of Nyaṅkumatī in Prabhāsakṣetra.
A yātrā directive to go and visit (darśana) the Chāyāliṅga; detailed rites are implied by the māhātmya context.