Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 190

Devanagari script

ऋषयो ज्ञानलिंगं च चिरस्थानेति नाम च । ब्राह्मणा ब्रह्मलिंगं च नाम ज्येष्ठेति तं विदुः

Transliteration

ṛṣayo jñānaliṃgaṃ ca cirasthāneti nāma ca | brāhmaṇā brahmaliṃgaṃ ca nāma jyeṣṭheti taṃ viduḥ

Translation

਋ਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਗਿਆਨ-ਲਿੰਗ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕੀਤੀ, ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ‘ਚਿਰਸਥਾਨ’ (ਦੀਰਘਕਾਲ ਟਿਕਣ ਵਾਲਾ) ਹੈ। ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣਾਂ ਨੇ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ-ਲਿੰਗ ਦੀ ਅਰਾਧਨਾ ਕੀਤੀ, ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ‘ਜ੍ਯੇਸ਼ਠ’ (ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡਾ) ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਜਾਣਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

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

• चिरस्थाने: ‘Cirasthāna’ (long-standing place)
• चिरस्थाने: Karma (Name/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिर-स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इति-शब्देन नामरूपेण

• इति: thus/so-called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न

• 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

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

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

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

• ज्येष्ठे: ‘Jyeṣṭha’ (the eldest)
• ज्येष्ठे: Karma (Name/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इति-शब्देन नामरूपेण

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न

• तम्: him/that (liṅga)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विदुः: know
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest āśrama: ṛṣis with matted hair worship a radiant ‘jñāna-liṅga’ emitting script-like rays; nearby brāhmaṇas in white perform orderly rites before a ‘brahma-liṅga’ crowned with a subtle aura labeled ‘Jyeṣṭha’.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Jñānaliṅga
• Cirasthāna
• Brāhmaṇas
• Brahmaliṅga
• Jyeṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship culminates in jñāna: Śiva is the enduring ground of wisdom and the primordial ‘Eldest’ reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is doctrinal, praising knowledge-centered worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights jñāna-oriented liṅga worship and brahma-liṅga veneration as orthodox devotional forms.