Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

पश्चात्प्रदोषवेलायां स्थावरं लिंगमर्च्चयेत् । स्वयंभु स्थापितं चापि पौरुषेयमपौरुषम्

Transliteration

paścātpradoṣavelāyāṃ sthāvaraṃ liṃgamarccayet | svayaṃbhu sthāpitaṃ cāpi pauruṣeyamapauruṣam

Translation

Kemudian, pada waktu Pradoṣa, hendaklah dipuja liṅga yang tetap (tidak bergerak)—sama ada yang svayambhū (terzahir sendiri), yang dipasang, yang berasal daripada manusia, atau yang bukan daripada manusia.

Word by Word

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• प्रदोष-वेलायाम्: at the time of twilight (pradoṣa)
• प्रदोष-वेलायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदोष (प्रातिपदिक) + वेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• स्थावरम्: immovable, fixed
• स्थावरम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• अर्च्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्च्चयेत्: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• स्वयम्भु: self-manifest
• स्वयम्भु: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

• स्थापितम्: installed, established
• स्थापितम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच्; कृदन्त: स्थापित (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: also/even)

• पौरुषेयम्: man-made
• पौरुषेयम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौरुषेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

• अपौरुषम्: not man-made
• अपौरुषम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At pradoṣa twilight, a devotee offers water, bilva leaves, incense, and a lamp to an immovable liṅga; the sky is indigo with the first stars; the liṅga may be shown as svayaṃbhu emerging from rock or as a temple-installed icon, emphasizing inclusivity of forms.

Characters & Entities

• Pradoṣa
• Liṅga
• Svayaṃbhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s accessibility is emphasized: devotion at pradoṣa sanctifies worship of any established liṅga, regardless of origin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa milieu highlights liṅga-sites across the Kedāra sacred landscape, including self-manifest and installed shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

At pradoṣa, worship a sthāvara (fixed) liṅga, irrespective of whether it is svayaṃbhū, installed, man-made, or non-man-made.