Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 172

Devanagari script

देवदेवेति नामास्ति लिंगं च ब्रह्मराक्षसाः । दंतजं वारणा लिंगं नाम रंहसमेव च

Transliteration

devadeveti nāmāsti liṃgaṃ ca brahmarākṣasāḥ | daṃtajaṃ vāraṇā liṃgaṃ nāma raṃhasameva ca

Translation

婆罗摩罗刹萨众亦建立一尊林伽，其名为“天中天”Devadeva，即“诸神之神”。群象建立一尊以象牙所成之林伽，确实以“Raṃhasa（迅疾者/推动者）”之名而闻。

Word by Word

• devadeva-iti: “Devadeva” (God of gods)
• devadeva-iti: Viśeṣaṇa (Name/संज्ञा-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + iti (अव्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (devaḥ devaḥ = god of gods) + इति नामनिर्देश

• nāma: as the name
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नामशब्दः

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• brahmarākṣasāḥ: Brahmarākṣasas
• brahmarākṣasāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (brahmaṇaḥ rākṣasāḥ)

• daṃtajam: born from a tooth
• daṃtajam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṃta (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (कृदन्त; √jan/जन्, ड)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (daṃtāt jāta = born from a tooth)

• vāraṇāḥ: elephants
• vāraṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• nāma: name
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; नामशब्दः

• raṃhasam: Raṃhasa (name)
• raṃhasam: Viśeṣaṇa (Name/संज्ञा-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṃhasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; संज्ञा (name)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmarākṣasas, fierce yet reverent, establish a liṅga named ‘Devadeva’; a herd of elephants offers a polished tusk-formed liṅga named ‘Raṃhasa,’ suggesting motion and force, with dust rising as they circle in pradakṣiṇā.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmarākṣasas
• Devadeva
• Vāraṇas (elephants)
• Raṃhasa
• Śiva (implied by liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even beings with mixed reputations (like Brahmarākṣasas) are included in Śiva’s grace when they establish and honor the Liṅga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is identified; the verse catalogs sacred Liṅga-names within the chapter’s Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies pratiṣṭhā (establishment) and nāma-smaraṇa (name-remembrance), but does not detail offerings or vows.