Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पार्वत्युवाच । विश्वकर्मेश्वरं लिंगं यत्काश्यां प्रथितं परम् । तस्य लिंगस्य कथय देवदेव समुद्भवम्

Transliteration

pārvatyuvāca | viśvakarmeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ yatkāśyāṃ prathitaṃ param | tasya liṃgasya kathaya devadeva samudbhavam

Translation

পার্বতী বললেন—হে দেবদেব! কাশীতে প্রসিদ্ধ পরম বিশ্বকর্মেশ্বর লিঙ্গের দিব্য উৎপত্তিকথা আমাকে বলুন।

Word by Word

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विश्वकर्मेश्वरम्: Viśvakarma-īśvara (Lord Viśvakarma)
• विश्वकर्मेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (viśvakarmaṇaḥ īśvaraḥ)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga, emblem
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रथितम्: renowned, famous
• प्रथितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + थि (धातु) → प्रथित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गस्य)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गस्य)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कथय: tell
• कथय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• देवदेव: O God of gods
• देवदेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (देवानां देवः)

• समुद्भवम्: origin, manifestation
• समुद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + उद् + भू (धातु) → समुद्भव (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक/उत्पत्तिवाचक

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvakarmēśvara-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Devadeva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, seated beside Śiva, asks with folded hands about the origin of the famed Viśvakarmēśvara liṅga of Kāśī; the background suggests ghāṭs, temple spires, and the sacred city’s luminous atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Devadeva (Śiva)
• Viśvakarmeśvara
• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites are understood through their divine origins; inquiry into a tīrtha’s manifestation deepens devotion and right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśvakarmeśvara liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse initiates a kathā (origin narrative) that frames later worship.