Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

दाक्षिणात्य इह प्राप्तस्त्वेतया सह कांतया । ध्यायामि लिंगमेतच्च प्रार्थयामि न किंचन

Transliteration

dākṣiṇātya iha prāptastvetayā saha kāṃtayā | dhyāyāmi liṃgametacca prārthayāmi na kiṃcana

Translation

»Aus dem südlichen Land bin ich hierher gelangt, zusammen mit dieser geliebten Gattin. Dieses Liṅga betrachte ich in Meditation, und ich erbitte gar nichts.«

Word by Word

• दाक्षिणात्यः: a southerner
• दाक्षिणात्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षिणात्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• प्राप्तः: arrived
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एतया: with this (woman)
• एतया: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• सह: together with
• सह: Saha (Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable)

• कान्तया: with (my) beloved/wife
• कान्तया: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• ध्यायामि: I meditate upon
• ध्यायामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (लिंगम् इति विशेष्य)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• प्रार्थयामि: I request / I ask for
• प्रार्थयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; प्र-उपसर्ग

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• किञ्चन: anything
• किञ्चन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किञ्चन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चित/निषेधसापेक्ष (anything at all)

Speaker

King Vṛddhakāla (as quoted within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame) / aged tapasvin within episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal couple, travel-worn yet serene, stands before a liṅga in Kāśī; the king declares he seeks nothing, only meditates—hands folded, eyes half-closed, wife beside him in quiet support.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛddhakāla (implied)
• Wife/consort (kāntā)
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest devotion in a tīrtha is niṣkāma—worship of Śiva without bargaining for worldly rewards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is affirmed as a pan-Indian pilgrimage destination, drawing devotees even from the far South.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) on the liṅga, with an attitude of non-asking (niṣkāma-prārthanā).