Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

पुरा न स्थापितं लिंगं कस्यचित्केनचित्क्वचित् । किमाकृति भवेल्लिंगं नैतद्वेत्त्यपि कश्चन

Transliteration

purā na sthāpitaṃ liṃgaṃ kasyacitkenacitkvacit | kimākṛti bhavelliṃgaṃ naitadvettyapi kaścana

Translation

In uralter Zeit wurde dieser Liṅga von niemandem, nirgendwo eingesetzt. Welche Gestalt er in Wahrheit hat — das weiß überhaupt niemand.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• स्थापितम्: installed/established
• स्थापितम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्थापयति; तस्य क्त (past passive participle)
• Form: क्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कस्यचित्: of someone/anyone
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kas-cit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्ट-सम्बन्धः

• केनचित्: by someone/anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kas-cit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• क्वचित्: anywhere
• क्वचित्: Desha-adhikarana (Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb ‘anywhere/somewhere’)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshana (Interrogative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• आकृतिः: form/shape
• आकृतिः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• कश्चन: anyone
• कश्चन: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kas-cana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्ट-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukteśvara (svayambhū implication)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ancient liṅga emerging from the earth or radiant void without human hands; sages and gods stand perplexed, indicating that its true ‘ākṛti’ cannot be grasped.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukteśvara Liṅga
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The liṅga’s sanctity is grounded in being self-manifest and beyond ordinary provenance or complete human comprehension.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra in Kāśī, through the unique status of the Avimukteśvara Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on the liṅga’s non-human स्थापना (installation) and mysterious form.