Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

धूमात्समुत्थितं लिङ्गं भित्त्वा पातालसप्तकम् । अवटं दक्षिणे कृत्वा लिङ्गं तत्रैव तिष्ठति

Transliteration

dhūmātsamutthitaṃ liṅgaṃ bhittvā pātālasaptakam | avaṭaṃ dakṣiṇe kṛtvā liṅgaṃ tatraiva tiṣṭhati

Translation

اسی دھوئیں سے شیو لِنگ ظاہر ہوا؛ اس نے سات پاتالوں کو چیر کر جنوب کی سمت ایک گڑھا بنایا، اور وہ لِنگ وہیں آج تک قائم ہے۔

Word by Word

• धूमात्: from smoke
• धूमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• समुत्थितम्: arisen; sprung up
• समुत्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उत् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण of लिङ्गम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भित्त्वा: having pierced; having broken through
• भित्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• पातालसप्तकम्: the seven netherworlds
• पातालसप्तकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल + सप्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवटम्: a pit; a hollow
• अवटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणे: on the south; to the south
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दक्षिणम् as direction) / अथवा पुंलिङ्ग (दक्षिणः as side), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• तिष्ठति: stands; remains
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (to a king, nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāleśvara (Kālāgnirudra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic subterranean cross-section: a liṅga rising from smoke, drilling through seven nether realms; on the surface, a southern pit (avata) forms beside the shrine, and the liṅga stands immovable, worshipped by sages.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva Liṅga
• Pātāla (seven nether realms)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes supremely potent when it is anchored in a direct manifestation (liṅga) of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dhūmāvarta/Kālāgnirudra-associated site marked by a southern avaṭa (pit) where the liṅga is said to abide.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not in this verse; it establishes the physical-sacred marker (liṅga and avaṭa) that later rites revolve around.