Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ततः प्रत्यक्षतामागाल्लिङ्गीभूतो महेश्वरः । प्रादुर्भूतस्तु सहसा भित्त्वा पातालसप्तकम्

Transliteration

tataḥ pratyakṣatāmāgālliṅgībhūto maheśvaraḥ | prādurbhūtastu sahasā bhittvā pātālasaptakam

Translation

Kemudian Maheśvara, setelah mengambil rupa Liṅga, pun nyata terserlah di hadapan; tiba-tiba muncul setelah menembusi tujuh lapis Pātāla.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'ततः' = 'thereafter/from that'

• प्रत्यक्षताम्: to visibility; to being manifest
• प्रत्यक्षताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यक्षता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक्रियायां गन्तव्य-स्थिति (to visibility)

• आगात्: came; attained
• आगात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'he came/attained'

• लिङ्गीभूतः: having assumed the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गीभूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्गिन् + भू (प्रातिपदिक + धातु)
• Form: भू-धातोः क्त (past participle) 'भूत'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—लिङ्गी (लिङ्गवान्) + भूतः

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—महा + ईश्वर

• प्रादुर्भूतः: manifested; appeared
• प्रादुर्भूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रादुस् (अव्यय) + भू (धातु)
• Form: भू-धातोः क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः—प्रादुस् + भूतः = 'manifested'

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — contrast/emphasis

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'suddenly'

• भित्त्वा: having pierced/split
• भित्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — 'having split'; अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• पातालसप्तकम्: the seven netherworlds
• पातालसप्तकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल + सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—पातालानां सप्तकं (seven nether regions)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the depths of the netherworlds, a radiant Śiva-liṅga erupts upward, splitting the strata of the seven pātālas; the earth trembles, serpents and nāgas recoil, and a column of light crowns the liṅga as it becomes ‘pratyakṣa’.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Pātāla (seven netherworlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The liṅga is presented as a direct, accessible manifestation of Śiva, revealing Himself in response to intense devotion and tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Kedāra-tīrtha origin narrative by describing Śiva’s liṅga-form manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it narrates the divine appearance (prādurbhāva) foundational to later worship.