Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

प्रतिग्रहेश्वरं वापि निष्कलंकेशमेव च । मार्कंडेयेशमभ्यर्च्य ततश्चाप्सरसेश्वरम्

Transliteration

pratigraheśvaraṃ vāpi niṣkalaṃkeśameva ca | mārkaṃḍeyeśamabhyarcya tataścāpsaraseśvaram

Translation

ينبغي أن يُعبد براتيغراهيشفارا (Pratigraheśvara) وكذلك نِشْكَلَنْكيشا (Niṣkalaṅkeśa). وبعد إكرام ماركاندييشفا (Mārkaṇḍeyeśa) على الوجه اللائق، تُقام العبادة لأبساراسيشفارا (Apsaraseśvara).

Word by Word

• प्रतिग्रहेश्वरम्: Pratigraheśvara (Lord of receiving gifts)
• प्रतिग्रहेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वर्थ-निपात (also/even)

• निष्कलंकेशम्: Niṣkalaṅkeśa (Lord free from blemish)
• निष्कलंकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कलङ्क + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: and)

• मार्कण्डेयेशम्: Mārkaṇḍeyeśa
• मार्कण्डेयेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), ‘अभ्यर्च्य’ = having worshipped

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (Kāla/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• अप्सरसेश्वरम्: Apsaraseśvara (Lord of the Apsarases)
• अप्सरसेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Antargṛha-yātrā liṅga cluster (Pratigraheśvara, Niṣkalaṅkeśa, Mārkaṇḍeyeśa, Apsaraseśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim with folded hands proceeds through narrow Kāśī lanes, stopping at successive small liṅga-shrines—Pratigraheśvara, Niṣkalaṅkeśa, Mārkaṇḍeyeśa—then Apsaraseśvara; lamps, bilva leaves, and incense mark each station.

Characters & Entities

• Pratigraheśvara
• Niṣkalaṅkeśa
• Mārkaṇḍeyeśa
• Apsaraseśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through an ordered pilgrimage within Kāśī—worshiping multiple liṅgas—purifies and aligns the pilgrim with Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The inner pilgrimage circuit (Antargṛha-yātrā) of Kāśī, marked by liṅgas such as Pratigraheśvara, Niṣkalaṅkeśa, Mārkaṇḍeyeśa, and Apsaraseśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana/abhyarcana—formal worship of successive Śiva manifestations (liṅgas) as part of the prescribed yātrā route.