Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

ततश्चिंतयतस्तस्य बिल्वाधस्तात्सुशोभनम् । उच्छ्रितं सुमहालिंगं पृथिव्या द्योतयद्दिशः

Transliteration

tataściṃtayatastasya bilvādhastātsuśobhanam | ucchritaṃ sumahāliṃgaṃ pṛthivyā dyotayaddiśaḥ

Translation

Kemudian, ketika dia sedang merenung, di bawah pohon bilva tampak muncul sebuah Mahā Liṅga yang amat indah dan menjulang tinggi, menerangi segala penjuru di bumi.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (then/thereupon)

• चिन्तयतः: while he was thinking (of him thinking)
• चिन्तयतः: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th case); एकवचन; ‘चिन्तयतः’ = “of (him) thinking”

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• बिल्वाधस्तात्: beneath the bilva tree
• बिल्वाधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बिल्व + अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; ‘बिल्वस्य अधस्तात्’ (below the bilva-tree); अव्यय

• सुशोभनम्: very beautiful
• सुशोभनम्: Karta (as predicate nominative with ‘लिङ्गम्’/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शोभन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सुशोभन = अतिशयेन शोभन); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘लिङ्गम्’)

• उच्छ्रितम्: raised, lofty
• उच्छ्रितम्: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्√श्रि (धातु) + क्त
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (raised/lofty)

• सुमहालिङ्गम्: a very great liṅga
• सुमहालिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु-महा-लिङ्गम् = very great liṅga); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• पृथिव्याः: of the earth
• पृथिव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th case); एकवचन

• द्योतयत्: illuminating
• द्योतयत्: Kriyā (Participial action qualifying subject/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √द्योत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘द्योतयत्’ = “illuminating”

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case); बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bilva-tale Mahā-liṅga-sthāna (name not specified in excerpt)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuru-nandana (addressed in the narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Under a bilva tree, a towering, splendid Mahā-liṅga suddenly rises/appears, emitting light that spreads to all directions; Kālabhīti stands nearby in stunned devotion, the earth and sky subtly responding to the radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Bilva
• Liṅga (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence becomes manifest (liṅga-prādurbhāva) where dharma, devotion, and sacred signs (like bilva) converge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse indicates a specific sacred spot marked by a bilva tree and a manifested Mahāliṅga, but it does not name the location explicitly in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly supports Śiva-liṅga worship and the sanctity of bilva-associated Śaiva places; no explicit rite is stated here.