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

ਗੌਤਮ ਨੇ ਗੋ-ਰਜ (ਗਾਂ ਦੀ ਧੂੜ) ਤੋਂ ਬਣੇ ਲਿੰਗ ਦੀ ਉਪਾਸਨਾ ਕੀਤੀ; ਉਹ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿਤ ਹੀ ‘ਗੋਪਤਿ’—ਗਾਂਵਾਂ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ—ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਵਾਨਪ੍ਰਸਥਾਂ ਨੇ ਫਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਬਣੇ ਲਿੰਗ ਦੀ ਭਕਤੀ ਕੀਤੀ; ਉਸ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ‘ਵ੍ਰਿਕਸ਼ਾਵ੍ਰਿਤ’—ਵ੍ਰਿਕਸ਼ਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਘਿਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ—ਹੈ।

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.