Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

पुरा मे योगयुक्तस्य लिंगमेतद्भुवस्तलात् । उद्भिद्य सप्तपातालं निरगात्पुरतो महत्

Transliteration

purā me yogayuktasya liṃgametadbhuvastalāt | udbhidya saptapātālaṃ niragātpurato mahat

Translation

往昔我入于瑜伽三昧之时，此伟大的林伽自大地表面迸现，贯穿七重帕塔拉（地下界），而后显现在我面前。

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala/Avyaya (Temporal adverb/काल-अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘formerly/once’

• मे: my; to me
• मे: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive/dative singular: ‘my/to me’)

• योग-युक्तस्य: of (me) engaged in yoga
• योग-युक्तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. gen. sg.: ‘of one engaged in yoga’)

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (neuter nom. sg.)

• भुवः-तलात्: from the surface of the earth
• भुवः-तलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवस्/भुवः (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, ablative singular)

• उद्भिद्य: having burst forth
• उद्भिद्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having burst forth/split open’

• सप्त-पातालम्: the seven netherworlds
• सप्त-पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगुसमास (neuter acc. sg.)

• निरगात्: went out; emerged
• निरगात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg.)

• पुरतः: in front; ahead
• पुरतः: Desha/Avyaya (Spatial adverb/देश-अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘in front/ahead’

• महत्: great; huge
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom. sg.)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced: first-person 'me' in discourse to Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triviṣṭapa-liṅga (prādurbhūta mahā-liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic vertical eruption: the liṅga rises from the earth like a dark, luminous pillar, splitting ground layers; beneath, stylized seven pātālas; above, Śiva in yogic posture opens his eyes to behold it; cosmic light streams upward.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pātāla (seven netherworlds)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Liṅga’s sanctity is grounded in a cosmic manifestation narrative, portraying it as self-revealed and supremely potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The manifested Liṅga being discussed in this adhyāya—associated with Kāśī’s Trilocana/Triviṣṭapa tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides mythic-cosmological provenance for the Liṅga’s greatness.