Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 186

Devanagari script

महाकालो रुद्रभवनं गतो भवपुरस्सरः । एवमेतन्महालिंगमुत्पन्नं कुरुनंदन

Transliteration

mahākālo rudrabhavanaṃ gato bhavapurassaraḥ | evametanmahāliṃgamutpannaṃ kurunaṃdana

Translation

பவனாகிய சிவன் முன்னணியில் இருக்க, மகாகாலன் ருத்ரனின் திருத்தலத்திற்குச் சென்றான். இவ்வாறு, ஓ குருநந்தனே, இந்த மகாலிங்கம் வெளிப்பட்டது.

Word by Word

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + कालः (कर्मधारय)

• रुद्रभवनम्: Rudra’s abode
• रुद्रभवनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + भवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—रुद्रस्य भवनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गतः: went / has gone
• गतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गच्छति’ इत्यर्थे भूतार्थकः (gone)

• भवपुरस्सरः: led by Bhava (Śiva)
• भवपुरस्सरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव + पुरस्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—भवः पुरः यस्य सः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; ‘भव-पुरःसर’ = having Bhava/Śiva in front, led by Bhava)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—महच्च तत् लिङ्गम् (कर्मधारय)

• उत्पन्नम्: arose / was produced
• उत्पन्नम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उत्पन्न’ = arisen/produced

• कुरुनन्दन: O descendant of the Kurus
• कुरुनन्दन: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कुरूणां नन्दनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (Mahākāleśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna (addressed as Kuru-nandana)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn, mythic movement: Mahākāla proceeding with Bhava at the forefront toward Rudra’s abode; the great Liṅga appearing in radiant emergence, attended by subtle celestial witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Rudra
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Kurunandana (listener-epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence is not merely conceptual—Śiva’s power becomes accessible through sacred manifestation (liṅga) in a celebrated place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s liṅga tradition, strongly associated with Ujjayinī (Ujjain) and its Mahākāleśvara sacred complex.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse establishes the sacred origin-story that underwrites later worship (liṅgārādhana).