Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

श्रीमदोंकारनाथं वा कृत्तिवासेश्वरं किमु । कालेशं वृद्धकालेशं कलशेश्वरमेव च

Transliteration

śrīmadoṃkāranāthaṃ vā kṛttivāseśvaraṃ kimu | kāleśaṃ vṛddhakāleśaṃ kalaśeśvarameva ca

Translation

„Ist es der ruhmreiche Oṃkāranātha, oder vielleicht Kṛttivāseśvara—Kāleśa, Vṛddhakāleśa, oder gar Kalaśeśvara?“

Word by Word

• श्रीमत्: glorious, revered
• श्रीमत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (honourific)

• ओंकारनाथम्: Oṃkāranātha (a liṅga-name)
• ओंकारनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (ओंकारस्य नाथः)

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

• कृत्तिवासेश्वरम्: Kṛttivāseśvara
• कृत्तिवासेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति-वास-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कृत्तिवासस्य ईश्वरः)

• किमु: or else? / or what?
• किमु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + उ (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/विकल्पवर्धक-अव्यय (interrogative particle: or rather?/or what?)

• कालेशम्: Kāleśa
• कालेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य ईशः)

• वृद्धकालेशम्: Vṛddhakāleśa
• वृद्धकालेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध-काल-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वृद्धः कालेशः)

• कलशेश्वरम्: Kalaśeśvara
• कलशेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कलशस्य ईश्वरः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed)

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṃkāranātha (and associated Kāśī liṅgas named)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim visualizes a garland of five shrines, each with a distinct emblem: Oṃ above Oṃkāranātha, a tiger-skin motif for Kṛttivāseśvara, a dark time-wheel for Kāleśa/Vṛddhakāleśa, and a shining kalaśa for Kalaśeśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Oṃkāranātha
• Kṛttivāseśvara
• Kāleśa
• Vṛddhakāleśa
• Kalaśeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is mapped as a sacred network of named liṅgas, each approached as a potent doorway for attaining desired spiritual and worldly fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Multiple Kāśī liṅga-sthānas are invoked: Oṃkāranātha, Kṛttivāseśvara, Kāleśa, Vṛddhakāleśa, and Kalaśeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified; the verse continues the discernment of which Kāśī liṅga to worship for swift siddhi.