Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 137

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा च लिंगप्रवरं महाकालमुपासदत् । ततो रुद्रवचः स्मृत्वा महाकालः स्मयन्निव

Transliteration

śrutvā ca liṃgapravaraṃ mahākālamupāsadat | tato rudravacaḥ smṛtvā mahākālaḥ smayanniva

Translation

लिंगांमध्ये श्रेष्ठ महाकाळाचे माहात्म्य ऐकून तो उपासनेसाठी तेथे गेला. तेव्हा रुद्राचे वचन स्मरून महाकाळ जणू मंद हसला.

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: श्रु (to hear)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• लिङ्ग-प्रवरम्: the excellent liṅga
• लिङ्ग-प्रवरम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य प्रवरम्)

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उप-आसदत्: approached
• उप-आसदत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: उप-

• ततः: then
• ततः: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तदर्थ-काल/अनन्तरबोधक (then/thereafter)

• रुद्र-वचः: Rudra’s words
• रुद्र-वचः: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य वचः)

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• स्मृत्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: स्मृ (to remember)

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्मयन्: smiling
• स्मयन्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मि (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: स्मि (to smile)

• इव: as if
• इव: उपमा-सम्बन्ध (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (Mahākāleśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee/king, having heard Mahākāla’s pre-eminence among liṅgas, approaches the sanctum; the liṅga’s presence is rendered as subtly smiling, as if remembering Rudra’s promise.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Rudra
• Liṅga-pravara
• Worship (upāsanā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching the supreme Liṅga with faith invites divine grace—often depicted as a responsive, living presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla Liṅga-sthala, praised as foremost among Liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upāsanā—approaching and worshipping Mahākāla as the liṅga-pravara.