Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 113

Devanagari script

गिरौ वने समुद्रांते नद्यां यच्च शिवालये । तद्वै स्वायंभुवं लिंगं स्वयं तत्रैव संस्थितम्

Transliteration

girau vane samudrāṃte nadyāṃ yacca śivālaye | tadvai svāyaṃbhuvaṃ liṃgaṃ svayaṃ tatraiva saṃsthitam

Translation

ไม่ว่าจะอยู่บนภูเขา ในป่า ริมทะเล ริมฝั่งแม่น้ำ หรือในศิวาลัย—ที่ใดก็ตามที่พบ—พึงรู้ว่านั่นคือ ลึงคะสวายัมภู ผู้ตั้งอยู่ ณ ที่นั้นด้วยตนเอง

Word by Word

• गिरौ: on a mountain
• गिरौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वने: in a forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• समुद्र-अन्ते: at the seashore; at the end of the sea
• समुद्र-अन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (समुद्रस्य अन्ते)

• नद्याम्: in a river
• नद्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• शिव-आलये: in a temple of Śiva
• शिव-आलये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य आलये)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक सर्वनाम (correlative)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• स्वायंभुवम्: self-manifest
• स्वायंभुवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गम् इत्यस्य)

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

• स्वयम्: by itself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक अव्यय (reflexive adverb: ‘by itself’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: only; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• संस्थितम्: situated; established
• संस्थितम्: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svayambhū-liṅga-sthāna (terrain-based typology)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like sacred map: a liṅga appearing in five settings—on a peak, in a forest grove, at the sea’s edge, on a riverbank, and within a temple—each with devotees recognizing it as svayambhū.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Svayambhū-liṅga
• Śivālaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine presence is not confined to cities; svayambhū liṅgas sanctify diverse landscapes, turning nature into tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Vastrāpathakṣetra within Prabhāsa, while the verse also universalizes Śaiva tīrthas across terrains.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recognize and honor svayambhū liṅgas wherever encountered—mountain, forest, seashore, river-bank, or temple.