Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

आवृत्य सप्त पातालान्क्षणाल्लिंगमदोर्ध्वतः । व्याप्य पृथ्वीं समग्रां च अंतरिक्षं समावृणोत्

Transliteration

āvṛtya sapta pātālānkṣaṇālliṃgamadordhvataḥ | vyāpya pṛthvīṃ samagrāṃ ca aṃtarikṣaṃ samāvṛṇot

Translation

Num instante, o liṅga ergueu-se para o alto, cobrindo os sete Pātālas. E, permeando toda a terra, envolveu também o espaço intermédio (antarikṣa).

Word by Word

• आवृत्य: having covered
• आवृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛ (धातु) + ā- → āvṛtya (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having covered)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; पातालान् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्; (here: masculine accusative plural agreeing with पातालान्)

• पातालान्: netherworlds
• पातालान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (बहुधा), द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• क्षणात्: in a moment
• क्षणात्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time limit/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; कालावधि/अत्यल्पकालार्थे (within a moment)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अदः: that (yonder)
• अदः: Karta (Determiner of subject/कर्तृनिर्देशक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण (निर्देशक)

• ऊर्ध्वतः: upwards, from above
• ऊर्ध्वतः: Desha-adhikaraṇa (Directional adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb): 'from above/upwards'

• व्याप्य: having pervaded
• व्याप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vyāp (धातु) → vyāpya (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having pervaded)

• पृथ्वीम्: the earth
• पृथ्वीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समग्राम्: entire, complete
• समग्राम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samagra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• अन्तरिक्षम्: the mid-region/sky
• अन्तरिक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antarikṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समावृणोत्: covered, enveloped
• समावृणोत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु) + sam-ā-
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal liṅga surges upward like a limitless pillar; below it presses into the pātālas, above it fills the sky; earth and atmosphere are wrapped in its presence.

Characters & Entities

• liṅga
• sapta pātāla
• pṛthvī
• aṃtarikṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s liṅga signifies the infinite, all-pervading Reality that transcends worlds—earth, mid-space, and the nether realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra (Kedāranātha) context, where liṅga-māhātmya grounds the sanctity of pilgrimage and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse provides cosmological praise that supports liṅga-pūjā and tīrtha-veneration.