Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ततः शैलेश्वरकथा रत्नेशस्य च दर्शनम् । कृत्तिवासः समुत्पत्तिस्ततश्चायतनागमः

Transliteration

tataḥ śaileśvarakathā ratneśasya ca darśanam | kṛttivāsaḥ samutpattistataścāyatanāgamaḥ

Translation

ثم تَرِدُ حكايةُ شايلِيشْفَرا (Śaileśvara) ورؤيةُ رَتْنِيشا (Ratneśa) رؤيةً مباركة (darśana). ثم يُذكر منشأُ كْرِتّيفاسا (Kṛttivāsa)، وبعد ذلك تُروى السُّنّةُ المتعلّقةُ بالآياتَنا (āyatana) أي المعبد/المقام.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक): thereafter

• शैलेश्वरकथा: the story of Śaileśvara
• शैलेश्वरकथा: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलेश्वर + कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शैलेश्वरस्य कथा)

• रत्नेशस्य: of Ratneśa
• रत्नेशस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रत्नस्य ईशः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-संयोजक): and

• दर्शनम्: the दर्शन/vision (sacred sight)
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृत्तिवासः: Kṛttivāsa (Śiva, skin-clad)
• कृत्तिवासः: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (कृत्तिः वासः यस्य सः—'one whose garment is a skin')

• समुत्पत्तिः: origin/arising
• समुत्पत्तिः: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक): thereafter

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक): and

• आयतनागमः: the coming/description of the shrine (āyatana)
• आयतनागमः: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन + आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आयतनस्य आगमः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaileśvara; Ratneśa; Kṛttivāsa; Āyatana (shrine tradition)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of four vignettes: (1) Śaileśvara associated with a rocky hill/stone motif; (2) Ratneśa as a jewel-radiant liṅga granting darśana; (3) Kṛttivāsa’s origin—Śiva clothed in a skin/‘kṛtti’ motif or a devotee receiving a boon; (4) āyatana-āgama—priests installing a liṅga in a sanctum with ritual implements.

Characters & Entities

• Śaileśvara
• Ratneśa
• Kṛttivāsa
• Āyatana (shrine/temple tradition)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of Kāśī’s Śaiva forms is treated as spiritually transformative; temple traditions are framed as sacred history, not mere architecture.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaileśvara, Ratneśa, and Kṛttivāsa—presented as notable Śiva-sites within Kāśī’s pilgrimage map.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the emphasis is on darśana and on the sanctity of established shrines (āyatanas).