Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

आलुलोके महालिंगं वैकुंठपरमेष्ठिनोः । महाहमहमिकायां प्रादुरास यदादितः

Transliteration

āluloke mahāliṃgaṃ vaikuṃṭhaparameṣṭhinoḥ | mahāhamahamikāyāṃ prādurāsa yadāditaḥ

Translation

Baginda menatap Mahāliṅga, yang mula-mula menzahirkan diri sejak awal dalam pertarungan besar ‘aku, aku’ (ahaṃkāra) antara Penguasa Vaikuṇṭha dan Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā).

Word by Word

• आलुलोके: he beheld/saw
• आलुलोके: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महा: great
• महा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक, समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• लिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: महा-लिङ्ग (कर्मधारय)

• वैकुण्ठ: Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu)
• वैकुण्ठ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक, समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• परमेष्ठिनोः: of Vaikuṇṭha and Paramēṣṭhin (Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठिनोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः: वैकुण्ठ-परमेष्ठिन् (द्वन्द्व; ‘वैकुण्ठश्च परमेष्ठी च’)

• महा: great
• महा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक, समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• अहम्: I (ego)
• अहम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक, समासाङ्ग (मध्यपद)

• अहमिका: in great egoism
• अहमिका: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहमिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: महा-अहम्-अहमिका (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे; ‘महती अहमिकाऽहंभावः’)

• प्रादुरास: appeared, manifested
• प्रादुरास: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रादुर्+अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘प्रादुरास’ = प्रादुर्भूतः/appeared

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (relative temporal adverb)

• आदितः: from the beginning
• आदितः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāliṅga / Viśveśvara-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva beholds the Mahāliṅga—an axis of presence recalling the primordial liṅgodbhava: a towering, luminous liṅga/pillar, with subtle echoes of Viṣṇu and Brahmā’s humbled forms at the periphery, the ‘ahaṃ-ahaṃ’ contest dissolved into silence.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāliṅga
• Viṣṇu (Vaikuṇṭhanātha)
• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)
• Śiva (Īśāna, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine revelation (the Liṅga) subdues ego and rivalry; the Supreme transcends status-claims and becomes the true object of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra through the presence/vision of the Mahāliṅga, tying the site to a cosmic theophany.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; the verse emphasizes darśana (beholding) of the Mahāliṅga.