Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 182

Devanagari script

गौतमो गोरजमयं नाम गोपतिरेव च । वानप्रस्थाः फलमयं नाम वृक्षावृतेति च

Transliteration

gautamo gorajamayaṃ nāma gopatireva ca | vānaprasthāḥ phalamayaṃ nāma vṛkṣāvṛteti ca

Translation

Gautama adore un liṅga façonné de poussière de vache, et on l’appelle en vérité Gopati, Seigneur des bovins. Les vānaprastha, ermites des forêts, adorent un liṅga fait de fruits, nommé Vṛkṣāvṛta, Celui qu’enveloppent les arbres.

Word by Word

• गौतमः: Gautama (name)
• गौतमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• गोरजमयम्: made of cow-dust (dust from cows)
• गोरजमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोरजमय (प्रातिपदिक; गो-रजस्+मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter, accusative singular; adjective)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Appellation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशक-अव्यय (appellative indeclinable)

• गोपतिः: Gopati (name; lord of cows)
• गोपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपति (प्रातिपदिक; गो+पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

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

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

• वानप्रस्थाः: the forest-dwellers (vānaprasthas)
• वानप्रस्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• फलमयम्: made of fruit
• फलमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फलमय (प्रातिपदिक; फल+मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter, accusative singular; adjective)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Appellation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशक-अव्यय (appellative indeclinable)

• वृक्षावृत: Vṛkṣāvṛta (name; 'covered by trees')
• वृक्षावृत: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्षावृत (प्रातिपदिक; वृक्ष+आवृत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (masculine, nominative singular; proper name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

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

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Gautama near a cowshed/gaushala fashions a liṅga from fine cow-dust, offering bilva and water; in a dense forest, vānaprasthas place fruits before a liṅga naturally wrapped by tree roots and creepers (Vṛkṣāvṛta).

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Gopati
• Vānaprasthas
• Vṛkṣāvṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is accessible in every āśrama: household and forest life both sanctify simple, locally available offerings through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes a dharmic pattern of worship rather than a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pūjā may be performed with symbolic materials (cow-dust; fruits) suited to one’s station and environment.