Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 3

स्कन्दसरः (Skandasara) — तीर्थवर्णनम् / Description of the Skandasara Sacred Lake

Devanagari script

शैवलैरुत्पलैः पद्मैः कुमुदैस्तारकोपमैः । तरंगैरभ्रसंकाशैराकाशमिव भूमिगम्

Transliteration

śaivalairutpalaiḥ padmaiḥ kumudaistārakopamaiḥ | taraṃgairabhrasaṃkāśairākāśamiva bhūmigam

Translation

ที่นั้นงดงามด้วยสาหร่าย บัวสีน้ำเงิน บัว และกุมุทที่ส่องประกายดุจดวงดาว; อีกทั้งระลอกคลื่นเรืองรองดุจเมฆ ทำให้แผ่นดินประหนึ่งเป็นท้องฟ้า

Word by Word

• śaivalaiḥ: with algae / water-plants
• śaivalaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaivala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; instrumental of means (करण)

• utpalaiḥ: with lotuses (blue lotuses)
• utpalaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utpala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; instrumental of means

• padmaiḥ: with lotuses
• padmaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; instrumental of means

• kumudaiḥ: with water-lilies (kumuda)
• kumudaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumuda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; instrumental of means

• tāraka-upamaiḥ: star-like
• tāraka-upamaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāraka (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; upamāna-tatpuruṣa (‘like stars’), qualifying the preceding instrumentals collectively

• taraṃgaiḥ: with waves
• taraṃgaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taraṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; instrumental of means

• abhra-saṃkāśaiḥ: cloud-like
• abhra-saṃkāśaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; tatpuruṣa (‘cloud-like’), qualifying taraṃgaiḥ

• ākāśam: the sky
• ākāśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; object of implied comparison/description

• iva: like/as
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya (particle of comparison)

• bhūmi-gam: reaching the earth / earth-bound
• bhūmi-gam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa (‘earth-going/earth-reaching’), qualifying ākāśam (as described)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The lake is ornamented with aquatic life and lotuses; star-like lilies and cloud-like waves transform the earthly scene into a sky-like vision—typical of tīrtha descriptions that signal a liminal space between worlds.

Significance: Such ‘earth-as-sky’ imagery indicates a threshold where the devotee’s perception is elevated (bhāva-śuddhi), suitable for darśana and reception of teaching.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalitā

Role: creative

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Implied night-sky mirroring (star-like lilies) creating a microcosm-macrocosm correspondence

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

The verse trains the devotee’s perception: when creation is seen as luminous and ordered—like earth becoming sky—it hints at Shiva (Pati) pervading and illuminating the bound world (pāśa), encouraging a Shiva-centered vision rather than mere worldly seeing.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

By portraying nature as a radiant, sanctified field, it supports Saguna devotion—seeing Shiva’s auspicious presence through visible forms. Such contemplation naturally culminates in Linga-worship, where the devotee gathers the mind from many beautiful appearances into one steady symbol of Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple dhyāna: contemplate a sacred waterscape (lotus, waves, star-like brilliance) while repeating the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” letting the mind become calm and expansive like ākāśa; this supports inner purity before japa, abhiṣeka, or Mahāśivarātri vrata.