Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 175

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारि गुरुर्लिंगं नाम चोष्णीषिणं विदुः । अलक्तकं च योगिन्यो नाम चास्य सुबभ्रुकम्

Transliteration

brahmacāri gururliṃgaṃ nāma coṣṇīṣiṇaṃ viduḥ | alaktakaṃ ca yoginyo nāma cāsya subabhrukam

Translation

ब्रह्मचारिगुरवो लिङ्गं प्रतिष्ठाप्य ‘उष्णीषिन्’ इति तज्ज्ञैः कथ्यते। योगिन्यश्च अलक्तकमयं लिङ्गं कृत्वा तस्य नाम ‘सुबभ्रुक’ इति चक्रुः।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारि: Brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारि: Karta/Name-bearer (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नाम (proper name/title)

• गुरुः: the teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• 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)

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

• उष्णीषिणम्: (named) Uṣṇīṣin (turbaned one)
• उष्णीषिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्णीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; नामरूपेण (as a name)

• विदुः: they know/consider
• विदुः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √विद् ‘जानाति’

• अलक्तकम्: red lac dye
• अलक्तकम्: Karma/Predicate object (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलक्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

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

• योगिन्यः: the Yoginīs
• योगिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• 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)

• अस्य: of this/its
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• सुबभ्रुकम्: (named) Subabhruka
• सुबभ्रुकम्: Predicate/Name (Saṃjñā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + बभ्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• 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: Brahmacārin gurus in white/ochre with matted hair and a symbolic uṣṇīṣa/crown install a radiant liṅga; nearby yoginīs, fierce yet auspicious, consecrate a liṅga tinted with red lac, glowing tawny-gold.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacārins
• Gurus
• Uṣṇīṣin
• Yoginīs
• Alaktaka
• Subabhruka
• Śiva (implied by liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline (brahmacarya) and yogic power both culminate in Śiva-worship; the Liṅga becomes the common axis of tapas and yoga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single location is stated; the focus is on devotional lineages and their consecrated Liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only the material (alaktaka/lac) and the sacred names are indicated; no detailed ritual is provided.