Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

विभूतिभूषिततनून्कृतलिंगसमर्चनान् । विहितप्राणयात्रांश्च कृतागमविचारणान्

Transliteration

vibhūtibhūṣitatanūnkṛtaliṃgasamarcanān | vihitaprāṇayātrāṃśca kṛtāgamavicāraṇān

Translation

—ihre Leiber mit heiliger Asche (vibhūti) geschmückt, verehrten sie den Liṅga; sie hielten die vorgeschriebenen Disziplinen des Atems und der Lebensführung ein und waren der Betrachtung der Āgamas, der śivaitischen Schriften, hingegeben.

Word by Word

• विभूति-भूषित-तनून्: those whose bodies were adorned with sacred ash
• विभूति-भूषित-तनून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: ‘विभूत्या भूषिताः तनवः येषाम्’)

• कृत-लिङ्ग-समर्चनान्: those who had performed worship of the liṅga
• कृत-लिङ्ग-समर्चनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + समर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: ‘कृतं लिङ्गस्य समर्चनं येषाम्’)

• विहित-प्राण-यात्रान्: those whose life-routine/breath-discipline was duly regulated
• विहित-प्राण-यात्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: ‘विहिता प्राणयात्रा येषाम्’)

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

• कृत-आगम-विचारणान्: those who had examined/pondered the Āgamas (scriptures)
• कृत-आगम-विचारणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + आगम (प्रातिपदिक) + विचारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: ‘कृतम् आगमानां विचारणं येषाम्’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṃkāra/Āmarakaṇṭaka Shaiva sphere on Revā-taṭa (as narrative setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined assembly of Pāśupata ascetics: bodies smeared with vibhūti, tripuṇḍra marks, rudrākṣa malas; some perform linga-archana with water and bilva, others sit in pranayama; a few study palm-leaf texts (āgamas) in a shaded mandapa.

Characters & Entities

• Pāśupata
• vibhūti
• liṅga
• Āgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of a place is embodied in disciplined devotees—marked by Śaiva signs (vibhūti), worship (liṅgārcana), and scriptural contemplation (āgama-vicāra).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the description of the sacred setting at the Revā-bank tīrtha (Āmarakaṇṭaka/Oṃkāra context) through its Śaiva practitioners.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-samarcana (liṅga worship) and the wearing of vibhūti (sacred ash) are described, along with prescribed disciplines and Āgama study.