Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

कृतकूपोदकस्नानः कृतैतल्लिंगपूजनः । वर्षेण सिद्धिमाप्नोति मनोभिलषितां नरः

Transliteration

kṛtakūpodakasnānaḥ kṛtaitalliṃgapūjanaḥ | varṣeṇa siddhimāpnoti manobhilaṣitāṃ naraḥ

Translation

من اغتسل بماء البئر وعبد هذا اللِنْغا نال في غضون سنة السِدْهي (siddhi) التي يتوق إليها قلبه.

Word by Word

• कृतकूपोदकस्नानः: one who has bathed in the well-water
• कृतकूपोदकस्नानः: Visheshana (Adjective of naraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + कूप + उदक + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (kūpa-udake snānaṃ kṛtam yena)

• कृत: done
• कृत: (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; (past passive participle)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (as determiner), एकवचन; demonstrative ‘this’

• लिङ्गपूजनः: worship of the liṅga
• लिङ्गपूजनः: Visheshana (as part of kṛtaitalliṅgapūjanaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (liṅgasya pūjanam)

• कृतैतल्लिंगपूजनः: one who has performed worship of this liṅga
• कृतैतल्लिंगपूजनः: Visheshana (Adjective of naraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + एतत् + लिङ्ग + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (etat-liṅga-pūjanaṃ kṛtam yena)

• वर्षेण: within a year / by a year
• वर्षेण: Karana (Time-measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; काल-करणे (instrumental of time)

• सिद्धिम्: success, attainment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मनोभिलषिताम्: desired by the mind
• मनोभिलषिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of siddhim)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् + अभिलषित (प्रातिपदिक; √लष्/लष् ‘to desire’ + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (manasā abhilaṣitā)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kālodaka-kūpa and its Liṅga (etallinga)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/seekers hearing Kāśī-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee completes ablution with well-water, then offers bilva and flowers to a black stone liṅga; a calendar wheel motif suggests ‘within a year’; the devotee’s thought-bubble shows the desired siddhi (health, progeny, knowledge).

Characters & Entities

• Kālodaka
• Vṛddhakāleśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a powerful tirtha, simple acts—snāna and pūjā—ripen quickly into tangible spiritual fruition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kālodaka-kūpa (the well) and the nearby Vṛddhakāleśvara Liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna with the well’s water and worship (pūjā) of the Liṅga, with a promised result within one year.