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

برہماچاری گروؤں نے ایک مقدّس لِنگ قائم کیا؛ دانا اسے ‘اُشنیشِن’ یعنی ‘تاج پوش’ جانتے ہیں۔ یوگنیوں نے سرخ لاکھ سے بنا لِنگ نصب کیا؛ اس کا نام ‘سُبَبھرُک’ یعنی ‘مبارک سنہرا/گندمی رنگ والا’ ہے۔

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.