Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

स्वनाम्ना तत्र संस्थाप्य लिंगं निर्वाणकारणम् । प्रासादं तत्र कृत्वोच्चैस्तदग्रे कूपमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

svanāmnā tatra saṃsthāpya liṃgaṃ nirvāṇakāraṇam | prāsādaṃ tatra kṛtvoccaistadagre kūpamuttamam

Translation

Dort wirst du, in deinem eigenen Namen, einen Liṅga errichten—Ursache der Befreiung—und einen hohen Tempel bauen; davor einen vortrefflichen Brunnen.

Word by Word

• स्वनाम्ना: by (your) own name
• स्वनाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—स्वस्य नाम्ना (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संस्थाप्य: having installed/established
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्थाप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वकाले

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

• निर्वाणकारणम्: a cause of liberation
• निर्वाणकारणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—निर्वाणस्य कारणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• प्रासादम्: a temple/mansion
• प्रासादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वकाले

• उच्चैः: high/aloft
• उच्चैः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: high/aloft)

• तदग्रे: in front of it
• तदग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः—"तस्य अग्रे" (in front of that)

• कूपम्: a well
• कूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कूपम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa, often Skanda-to-Agastya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī—newly established dedicatory liṅga and shrine

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Kāśī, the king installs a liṅga bearing his dedicatory name; priests perform consecration; a tall temple rises; before it an excellent well is dug and lined, with pilgrims drawing water.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Viśveśvara/Viśvanātha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred construction in Kāśī—especially liṅga installation—becomes a direct support for liberation-oriented dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), where installing a liṅga and building public works is praised as mokṣa-causing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installing a liṅga), building a prāsāda (temple), and constructing a kūpa (well) are explicitly prescribed.