Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

एकदाराध्य रत्नेशं ममैतल्लिंगमुत्तमम् । समानर्च च सा बाला रम्यया गीतमालया

Transliteration

ekadārādhya ratneśaṃ mamaitalliṃgamuttamam | samānarca ca sā bālā ramyayā gītamālayā

Translation

«بعد أن عبدتْ رَتْنيشا مرةً واحدة—هذا اللِّينغا الأسمى لي—عادتِ الفتاة فقرّبت عبادةً مماثلة، مقدِّمةً إكليلًا جميلًا من الأناشيد.»

Word by Word

• ekadā: once
• ekadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka + dā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'once/at one time')

• ārādhya: having worshipped
• ārādhya: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√rādh (राध् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-तुमुनादि-न; ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having worshipped/propitiated'

• ratneśam: Ratneśa (Lord of jewels)
• ratneśam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ratnānām īśaḥ)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (liṅgam इत्यस्य)

• liṅgam: liṅga (emblem)
• liṅgam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent, best
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (liṅgam इत्यस्य)

• samānarca: worship (together)
• samānarca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√arc (अर्च् धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यम/प्रथम?; पाठानुसार 'सम्-आनर्च' = सम् + आनर्च (लङ्/लिट्?) इति सन्दिग्ध; अर्थतः विधिलिङ्/लोट्: 'worship (together)'; एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bālā: the girl
• bālā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ramyayā: with charming
• ramyayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (gītamālayā इत्यस्य)

• gītamālayā: with a garland/series of songs
• gītamālayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (gītānāṃ mālā)

Speaker

Śiva (Ratneśvara, speaking from within the liṅga) [deduced from context: liṅgasthaḥ in following verse]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśa-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Umā (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young maiden stands before a radiant liṅga named Ratneśa, offering not flowers but a ‘garland’ of sung hymns; the sanctum glows with jewel-like light, suggesting the ‘ratna’ quality.

Characters & Entities

• Ratneśa
• Ratneśvara-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single, sincere act of liṅga-worship—especially with heartfelt praise—draws Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, specifically the Ratneśvara/Ratneśa Liṅga shrine celebrated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅgārcana (worship of the liṅga), here enhanced through gīta/stotra—devotional singing as an offering.