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

അപ്സരസ്സുകൾ കുങ്കുമമയ ലിംഗം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു; അതിന് ‘ശംഭോഃ പ്രിയാ’ എന്നു നാമം നൽകി. ഉർവശി സിന്ദൂരമയ ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; അത് ‘പ്രിയവാസന’ എന്ന പേരിൽ അറിയപ്പെട്ടു.

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.