Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

शक्त्या लिंगं च संछन्नं तदा सर्वमदृश्यत । लिंगेन शक्तिः संछन्ना परस्परमवर्तत

Transliteration

śaktyā liṃgaṃ ca saṃchannaṃ tadā sarvamadṛśyata | liṃgena śaktiḥ saṃchannā parasparamavartata

Translation

तेव्हा शक्तीने लिंग आच्छादिले गेले आणि सर्व काही अदृश्य झाले. पुन्हा लिंगाने शक्ती आच्छादिली—अशा रीतीने ते परस्परांना वेढीत राहिले।

Word by Word

• शक्त्या: by/with śakti
• शक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• लिङ्गं: the liṅga
• लिङ्गं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nominative/accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• संछन्नं: covered/hidden
• संछन्नं: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + छद् (धातु) → संछन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) लिङ्गम् इति

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• अदृश्यत: became unseen/was not visible
• अदृश्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) (कर्मणि प्रयोग)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); कर्मणि (passive)

• लिङ्गेन: by/with the liṅga
• लिङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• शक्तिः: śakti
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• संछन्ना: covered/hidden
• संछन्ना: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + छद् (धातु) → संछन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) शक्तिः इति

• परस्परम्: mutually
• परस्परम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थे)
• Form: अव्यय (reciprocal adverb)

• अवर्तत: occurred/continued; existed
• अवर्तत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous liṅga and a radiant feminine Śakti form alternately eclipse each other; as they overlap, the surrounding cosmos fades into darkness—like a total veil drawn over sight.

Characters & Entities

• Śakti
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Absolute is experienced through the interplay of revelation and concealment—Liṅga and Śakti are inseparable and mutually encompassing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kedārakhaṇḍa’s Kedāra setting, the Liṅga is portrayed as the supreme mystery where Śakti and Śiva unite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse conveys a contemplative theology of Śiva-Śakti unity and cosmic concealment.