Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

लिंगस्यार्चनयुक्तोऽसौ वीरभद्रोऽभवत्तदा । तद्रूपस्यैव लिंगस्य येन सर्वमिदं जगत्

Transliteration

liṃgasyārcanayukto'sau vīrabhadro'bhavattadā | tadrūpasyaiva liṃgasya yena sarvamidaṃ jagat

Translation

तदा स वीरभद्रः लिङ्गस्यार्चनयुक्तोऽभवत्। तस्यैव लिङ्गरूपस्य येन सर्वमिदं जगदुद्भवस्थितिलयभाग् भवति।

Word by Word

• liṅgasya: of the liṅga
• liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• arcana-yuktaḥ: engaged in worship
• arcana-yuktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arcana + yukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अर्चने युक्तः)

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vīrabhadraḥ: Vīrabhadra
• vīrabhadraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• abhavat: became, was
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• tad-rūpasya: of that form
• tad-rūpasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य रूपम्)

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• liṅgasya: of the liṅga
• liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोग (relative pronoun)

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• jagat: world, universe
• jagat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (narrator) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vīrabhadra absorbed in uninterrupted liṅga worship; the liṅga subtly visualized as the axis of the cosmos, with faint suggestion of worlds emanating/being held within its form.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Liṅga
• Jagat (world)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liṅga-worship is presented as worship of the very principle through which the universe is experienced and upheld.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedarnath, where the Mahāliṅga’s cosmic significance is highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (formal worship) of the Liṅga is the central practice indicated.