Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

मूर्तयो ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्कशिवविघ्नेश्वरादिकाः । लिंगं शैवमिति ख्यातं यत्रैतत्तीर्थमेव तत्

Transliteration

mūrtayo brahmaviṣṇvarkaśivavighneśvarādikāḥ | liṃgaṃ śaivamiti khyātaṃ yatraitattīrthameva tat

Translation

ব্রহ্মা, বিষ্ণু, অর্ক (সূর্য), শিব, বিঘ্নেশ্বর প্রভৃতি যে যে দিব্য মূর্তি—যেখানে তা ‘শৈব লিঙ্গ’ রূপে খ্যাত, সেই স্থানই প্রকৃত তীর্থ।

Word by Word

• मूर्तयः: forms/images
• मूर्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्ता (subject)

• ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्कशिवविघ्नेश्वरादिकाः: (such as) Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Arka (Sun), Śiva, Vighneśvara, etc.
• ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्कशिवविघ्नेश्वरादिकाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + अर्क + शिव + विघ्नेश्वर + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (enumerative) + आदिक (etc.); मूर्तयः इति विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता/विधेय (topic)

• शैवम्: Śaiva (of Śiva)
• शैवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (Śaiva: pertaining to Śiva)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक (quotative: ‘thus’)

• ख्यातम्: is known/called
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (is known/called)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (where)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश (this)

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता (subject with ‘तत्’)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (just/indeed)

• तत्: that (is)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅga-centered tīrtha (general principle applied to Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (frame); Devī is the immediate addressee in the quoted dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred precinct showing icons of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Sūrya, Gaṇeśa, and others arranged around a central Śaiva liṅga; the teaching declares the whole locus a tīrtha when recognized as liṅga-centered.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Arka (Sūrya)
• Śiva
• Vighneśvara (Gaṇeśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacredness is anchored in Śiva’s liṅga principle; even diverse divine forms are integrated into the tīrtha-identity where the Śaiva liṅga is recognized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A general rule for Kāśī’s sacred geography: any locus renowned for a Śaiva liṅga is itself a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recognition and worship of the Śaiva liṅga as the defining marker of a tīrtha; no specific vrata/snana is detailed in this verse.