Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

उत्तरे कृत्तिवासस्य वाराणस्यां प्रयत्नतः । वृद्धकालेश्वरं लिंगं द्रष्टव्यं सिद्धिकामुकैः

Transliteration

uttare kṛttivāsasya vārāṇasyāṃ prayatnataḥ | vṛddhakāleśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ draṣṭavyaṃ siddhikāmukaiḥ

Translation

In Vārāṇasī, nördlich von Kṛttivāsa, soll das Liṅga des Vṛddhakāleśvara von den nach Siddhis Verlangenden mit Mühe gesucht und geschaut werden.

Word by Word

• उत्तरे: to the north/in the northern part
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; दिक्शब्द (directional)

• कृत्तिवासस्य: of Kṛttivāsa
• कृत्तिवासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (name: 'Kṛttivāsa'), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort/carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्नतः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: with effort/carefully)

• वृद्धकालेश्वरम्: Vṛddhakāleśvara
• वृद्धकालेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (proper name), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

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

• द्रष्टव्यम्: should be seen/visited
• द्रष्टव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त-तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate: 'is to be seen')

• सिद्धिकामुकैः: by those desiring attainment/success
• सिद्धिकामुकैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + कामुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (desiderative: 'desiring success'), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Skanda’s Kāśī Māhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛddhakāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim group consults a local guide near a shrine of Kṛttivāsa, then proceeds north through narrow Kāśī lanes toward a small sanctum where the Vṛddhakāleśvara liṅga awaits; the seekers carry flowers and bilva, faces intent on siddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Kṛttivāsa
• Vṛddhakāleśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s liberation-map is also a pilgrim’s map: earnest darśana of specific liṅgas is praised as a direct means to siddhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vṛddhakāleśvara-liṅga, located north of Kṛttivāsa in Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (visiting/seeing) of the Vṛddhakāleśvara liṅga with sincere effort.