Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 189

Devanagari script

पृथिवी मेरुलिंगं च द्वितनुश्चास्य नाम च । भस्मलिंगं पशुपतिर्नाम चास्य महेश्वरः

Transliteration

pṛthivī meruliṃgaṃ ca dvitanuścāsya nāma ca | bhasmaliṃgaṃ paśupatirnāma cāsya maheśvaraḥ

Translation

পৃথিবী ‘মেরুলিঙ্গ’ পূজা করে; তার নাম ‘দ্বিতনু’। ভস্মলিঙ্গের আরাধক ‘পশুপতি’ নামে খ্যাত; তার নাম ‘মহেশ্বর’।

Word by Word

• पृथिवी: the Earth
• पृथिवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मेरुलिङ्गम्: the ‘Meru-liṅga’
• मेरुलिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• द्वितनुः: Dvitanu (two-bodied)
• द्वितनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि-तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अस्य: of him/its
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नाम: name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निर्देश

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• भस्मलिङ्गम्: the ‘ash-liṅga’
• भस्मलिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्म-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पशुपतिः: Paśupati
• पशुपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-निर्देश

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अस्य: of him/its
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Earth (Pṛthivī-devī) offers worship to a Meru-shaped liṅga rising like a golden mountain; beside it a liṅga formed of sacred ash, with the epithet Paśupati/Maheśvara inscribed in the aura.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthivī
• Meru-liṅga
• Dvitanu
• Paśupati
• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the cosmic axis (Meru) and the immanent Lord of beings (Paśupati); ash signifies renunciation and truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Meru is invoked symbolically as the cosmic mountain; no specific earthly tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhasma-liṅga worship is implied, reflecting Śaiva practice that honors sacred ash as a purifier and reminder of impermanence.