Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

लयनाल्लिंगमित्युक्तं सर्वैरपि सुरा सुरैः । यस्यांतं न विदुर्द्देवा ब्रह्मविष्णुपुरोगमाः

Transliteration

layanālliṃgamityuktaṃ sarvairapi surā suraiḥ | yasyāṃtaṃ na vidurddevā brahmaviṣṇupurogamāḥ

Translation

เพราะมันหลอมรวมสรรพสิ่งให้ลับหายเข้าสู่ตน จึงถูกเรียกว่า ‘ลึงค์’ โดยทั้งเทวะและอสูร และแม้เหล่าเทพผู้มีพรหมาและวิษณุนำหน้า ก็ยังไม่รู้ที่สุดปลายของมัน

Word by Word

• लयनात्: from dissolution / because of absorption
• लयनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object of ‘said’/उक्तस्य कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• उक्तम्: was called / was said
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अस्ति/आसीत् इत्यध्याहारः)

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• असुरैः: by the demons
• असुरैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (whose)

• अन्तम्: end / limit
• अन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• विदुः: knew
• विदुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मविष्णुपुरोगमाः: with Brahmā and Viṣṇu at the forefront
• ब्रह्मविष्णुपुरोगमाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन्-विष्णु-पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + पुरोगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (ब्रह्मविष्णू पुरोगमौ येषां ते)

Speaker

Kāla

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-liṅga (ananta-liṅga principle)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A metaphysical tableau: devas and asuras agree on the name ‘liṅga’ because it absorbs all into itself; Brahmā and Viṣṇu stand humbled before an endless pillar whose beginning and end cannot be found.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s reality is limitless—beyond even the highest gods—inviting humility and surrender rather than intellectual conquest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa context places this teaching within the sanctity of Kedāra, a famed Liṅga-centered tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it supports Liṅga-pūjā as worship of the infinite and unknowable Absolute made approachable.