Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 174

Devanagari script

कौंकुममप्सरसो लिंगं नाम शंभोः प्रियेति च । सिंदूरजं चोर्वशी च नाम च प्रियवासनम्

Transliteration

kauṃkumamapsaraso liṃgaṃ nāma śaṃbhoḥ priyeti ca | siṃdūrajaṃ corvaśī ca nāma ca priyavāsanam

Translation

وأقامتِ الأبساراس لِـنْغًا من الزعفران؛ ودُعي «شَمْبُوهْ پْرِيَا»، أي «محبوبة شَمْبُو». وأقامتْ أُرفَشي لِـنْغًا من السِّندور (الزنجفر)؛ وهو معروف باسم «پْرِيَفَاسَنَ»، أي «ذو العِطر/اللباس المحبوب».

Word by Word

• कौङ्कुमम्: saffron (kumkuma)
• कौङ्कुमम्: Karma/Predicate object (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• अप्सरसः: the Apsarases
• अप्सरसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma/Predicate object (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (particle indicating naming)

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• प्रिया: (named) Priyā
• प्रिया: Predicate/Name (Saṃjñā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नामरूपेण

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सिन्दूरजम्: born of/produced from vermilion
• सिन्दूरजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिन्दूर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण — ‘सिन्दूरात् जातम्’

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उर्वशी: Urvāśī
• उर्वशी: Karta/Name-bearer (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (particle indicating naming)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रियवासनम्: (named) Priyavāsana
• प्रियवासनम्: Predicate/Name (Saṃjñā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + वासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नामरूपेण

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Celestial Apsarases in jeweled attire offer a saffron-made liṅga glowing golden-orange; Urvaśī presents a vermilion liṅga, the air thick with perfume, garlands, and lamp-smoke.

Characters & Entities

• Apsarases
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Śambhoḥ Priyā
• Urvaśī
• Priyavāsana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings associated with beauty and fragrance become sacred when offered to Śiva; devotion refines sensory gifts into worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; the verse is part of a catalog of Liṅga-names and their origins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, applying kumkuma/sindūra as devotional substances; no formal vow or procedure is described.